Volutes

Apertural view of a shell of Scaphella junonia

Volutidae, common name volutes, are a taxonomic family of predatory sea snails that range in size from 9 mm to over 500 mm. They are marine gastropod mollusks. Most of the species have no operculum.

Distribution

This family of sea snails are found mainly in tropical seas, though some species also inhabit the waters of the polar circles.

Shell description

The shell of species such as Melo amphora can grow as large as 50 cm (19.7 inches) in length.^[1]

Volutes are distinguished by their distinctively marked spiral shells (to which the family name refers, voluta meaning "scroll" in Latin).

The shells have an elongated aperture in their first whorl and an inner lip characterised by a number of deep plaits. The elaborate decorations of the shells has made them a popular collectors' item, with the imperial volute (Voluta imperialis) of the Philippines being particularly prized.

Taxonomy

Subfamilies and tribes

According to Bail & Poppe (2001)^[2] Volutidae can be subdivided into the following Subfamilies and tribes:

• Amoriinae Gray, 1857
  • Tribe Meloini Pilsbry & Olsson, 1954
  • Tribe Amoriini Gray, 1857
• Athletinae Pilsbry & Olsson, 1954
• Calliotectinae Pilsbry & Olsson, 1954
• Cymbiinae H. Adams & A. Adams, 1853
  • Tribe Adelomelonini Pilsbry & Olsson, 1954
  • Tribe Alcithoini Pilsbry & Olsson, 1954
  • Tribe Cymbiini H. Adams & A. Adams, 1853
  • Tribe Livoniini Bail & Poppe, 2001
  • Tribe Odontocymbiolini Clench & Turner, 1964
  • Tribe Zidonini H. Adams & A. Adams, 1853
• Fulgorariinae Pilsbry & Olsson, 1954
• Plicolivinae Bpichet, 1990
• Scaphellinae Gray, 1857
• Volutinae
  • Tribe Lyriini Pilsbry & Olsson, 1954
  • Tribe Volutini Rafinesque, 1815

Genera

Genera within the Volutidae include:

• Adelomelon Dall, 1906
• Alcithoe H. Adams & A. Adams, 1853
• Amoria Gray, 1855^[3]
• Ampulla Röding, 1798
• Arctomelon Dall, 1915
• Athleta Conrad, 1853
• Callipara Gray, 1847
• Calliotectum Dall, 1890
• Cymbiola Swainson, 1831
• Cymbiolacca
• Cymbium Röding, 1798
  • Cymbium cymbium
  • Cymbium glans
  • Cymbium marmoratum
  • Cymbium olla (Linnaeus, 1758)
  • Cymbium pepo
• Enaeta H. Adams and A. Adams, 1853
• Ericusa H. Adams and A. Adams, 1858
• Festilyria Pilsbry & Olsson, 1954
• Fulgoraria Schumacher, 1817^[4]
• Fusivoluta E. von Martens, 1902

Livonia mammilla (Sowerby, 1844), museum specimen.

• Harpovoluta Thiele, 1912
• Harpulina Dall, 1906
• Iredalina Finlay, 1926
• Leptoscapha Fischer, 1883
• Livonia Gray, 1855
• Lyria Gray, 1847
• † Mauira Marwick, 1943
• † Mauithoe Finlay, 1930
• Melo Broderip in Sowerby I, 1826

Two views of a shell of Scaphella lamberti, and in the center, a cut-down shell showing the folds on the columella

• † Metamelon Marwick, 1926
• Minicymbiola Klappenbach, 1979
• Miomelon Dall, 1907
• † Mitreola Swainson, 1833
• Nannamoria Iredale, 1929
• Nanomelon Leal & Bouchet, 1989
• Neptuneopsis Sowerby III, 1898
• Notopeplum Finlay, 1927
• Notavoluta Cotton, 1946
• Odontocymbiola Clench & Turner, 1964
• † Pachymelon Marwick, 1926
• Paramoria McMichael, 1960
• Plicoliva Petuch, 1979
• Provocator Watson, 1882
• Scaphella Swainson, 1832
• Spinomelon Marwick, 1926
• Tenebrincola Harasewych & Kantor, 1991
• Teramachia
• Tractolira Dall, 1890
• Voluta Linnaeus, 1758
• Volutifusus Conrad, 1863
• Volutoconus Crosse, 1871
• Waihaoia Marwick, 1926
• Zygomelon Harasewych & Marshall, 1995
• Zidona H. Adams and A. Adams, 1853

References

• ITIS
• "Volute." Encyclopædia Britannica, 2006.
• Powell A W B, New Zealand Mollusca, William Collins Publishers Ltd, Auckland, New Zealand 1979 ISBN 0-00-216906-1
• Merle & Pacaud & Marivaux, 2014 Merle & Pacaud & Marivaux, Volutidae (Mollusca: Gastropoda) of the Lakhra Formation (Earliest Eocene, Sindh, Pakistan): systematics, biostratigraphy and paleobiogeography; Zootaxa, 3826 (1) : 101-138, fig. 1-12. , 2014