Summary
Olive snails, also known as olive shells and olives, scientific name Olividae, are a taxonomic family of medium to large predatory sea snails with smooth, shiny, elongated oval-shaped shells.[1]
| Olive snail | |
|---|---|
| |
| live Vullietoliva kaleontina | |
| |
| Shells of Lettered olive, Americoliva sayana | |
Scientific classification 
| |
| Domain: | Eukaryota |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Mollusca |
| Class: | Gastropoda |
| Subclass: | Caenogastropoda |
| Order: | Neogastropoda |
| Superfamily: | Olivoidea |
| Family: | Olividae Latreille, 1825 |
| Genera | |
|
See text | |
| Synonyms[1] | |
|
Olivancillariidae | |
The shells often show various muted but attractive colors, and may be patterned also. They are marine gastropod molluscs in the family Olividae within the main clade Neogastropoda.
Taxonomy edit
According to the Revised Classification, Nomenclator and Typification of Gastropod Families (2017)[2] the family Olividae consists of five subfamilies:[3]
- Olivinae Latreille, 1825 – synonyms: Dactylidae H. Adams & A. Adams, 1853 (inv.);
- Agaroniinae Olsson, 1956
- Calyptolivinae Kantor, Fedosov, Puillandre, Bonillo & Bouchet, 2017
- Olivancillariinae Golikov & Starobogatov, 1975
- Olivellinae Troschel, 1869
Distribution edit
Olive snails are found worldwide, in subtropical and tropical seas and oceans.
Habitat edit
These snails are found on sandy substrates intertidally and subtidally.
Life habits edit
The olive snails are all carnivorous sand-burrowers. They feed mostly on bivalves and carrion and are known as some of the fastest burrowers among snails. They secrete a mucus similar to that of the Muricidae, from which a purple dye can be made.
Shell description edit
Physically the shells are oval and cylindrical in shape. They have a well-developed stepped spire. Olive shells have a siphonal notch at the posterior end of the long narrow aperture. The siphon of the living animal protrudes from the siphon notch.
The shell surface is extremely glossy because in life the mantle almost always covers the shell.[4][5]
The fossil record edit
Human use edit
Olive shells are popular with shell collectors, and are also often made into jewelry and other decorative items.
The shell of the lettered olive, Oliva sayana, is the state shell of South Carolina in the United States.
Genera edit
Genera within the family Olividae include:
- Agaronia Gray, 1839
- Americoliva Petuch, 2013 (synonym of Oliva)
- Callianax H. Adams & A. Adams, 1853 [7]
- Calyptoliva Kantor & Bouchet, 2007
- Cupidoliva Iredale, 1924
- Felicioliva Petuch & Berschauer, 2017
- † Lamprodomina Marwick, 1931
- Miniaceoliva Petuch & Sargent, 1986
- Oliva Bruguière, 1789
- Olivancillaria d'Orbigny, 1840
- Omogymna Martens, 1897
- † Pseudolivella Glibert, 1960
- Recourtoliva Petuch & Berschauer, 2017
- † Spirancilla H. E. Vokes, 1936
- †Torqueoliva Landau, da Silva & Heitz, 2016
- Uzamakiella Habe, 1958
- Vullietoliva Petuch & Berschauer, 2017
- Genera brought into synonymy
- Chilotygma H. Adams & A. Adams, 1853: synonym of Ancilla Lamarck, 1799
- Hiatula Swainson, 1831: synonym of Agaronia Gray, 1839
- Lintricula H. Adams & A. Adams, 1853: synonym of Olivancillaria d'Orbigny, 1840
- Porphyria Röding, 1798 : synonym of Oliva Bruguière, 1789
- Scaphula Swainson, 1840: synonym of Olivancillaria d'Orbigny, 1840
See also edit
- Olivella This genus has now been moved to the Olivellidae according to the taxonomy of Bouchet & Rocroi.
References edit
- ^ a b Bouchet, P.; Gofas, S. (2012). Olividae. Accessed through: World Register of Marine Species at http://www.marinespecies.org/aphia.php?p=taxdetails&id=23082 on 2012-06-11
- ^ Bouchet, Philippe; Rocroi, Jean-Pierre; Hausdorf, Bernhard; Kaim, Andrzej; Kano, Yasunori; Nützel, Alexander; Parkhaev, Pavel; Schrödl, Michael; Strong, Ellen E. (2017). "Revised Classification, Nomenclator and Typification of Gastropod and Monoplacophoran Families". Malacologia. 61 (1–2): 1–526. doi:10.4002/040.061.0201. ISSN 0076-2997.
- ^ "WoRMS - World Register of Marine Species - Olividae Latreille, 1825". www.marinespecies.org. Retrieved 2020-11-24.
- ^ Washington State University Tri-Cities Natural History Museum (2001). Family: Olividae (Olive Shells). Retrieved on 12 July 2006.
- ^ Vermeij, Geerat J (3 April 1995). A Natural History of Shells. Princeton University Press. ISBN 0-691-00167-7. pps. 89, 100, 114.
- ^ Vermeij, Geerat J (1 September 1993). Evolution and Escalation. Princeton University Press. ISBN 0-691-00080-8. p.182.
- ^ Charles L. Powell II, Fred Vervaet and David Berschauer, A taxonomic review of California Holocene Callianax (Olivellidae. Gastropoda. Mollusca) based on shell characters; The Festivus March 2020, special issue
Further reading edit
- Hunon Ch., Hoarau A. & Robin A. (2009). Olividae (Mollusca, Gastropoda).
External links edit
- Miocene Gastropods and Biostratigraphy of the Kern River Area, California; United States Geological Survey Professional Paper 642
This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the public domain.
