volutidae

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

The large head has the eyes sessile on the sides below the base of the tentacles. The tentacles are far apart,

united by a broad veil over the head. The mantle is sometimes greatly developed, covering the sides of the shell. The siphon is recurved, short, with auricles on each side of the base. The foot is very large, partly hiding the shell. There is no operculum.[https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/page/3782650 Adams, H. & Adams, A. (1853-1858). The genera of Recent Mollusca; arranged according to their organization. London, van Voorst. Vol. 1: xl + 484 pp.; vol. 2: 661 pp.; vol. 3: 138 pls]

The shell shows distinct plaits on the columella. The apex of the spire is mamillated. The shells have an elongated aperture in their first whorl and an inner lip characterised by a number of deep plaits.

The family of Volutidae comprises a suite of large shells remarkable for their great beauty and elegance of form.

The shell of species such as Melo amphora can grow as large as 50 cm (19.7 inches) in length.Poutiers, J. M. (1998). Gastropods in: FAO Species Identification Guide for Fishery Purposes: The living marine resources of the Western Central Pacific Volume 1. Seaweeds, corals, bivalves and gastropods. Rome, FAO, 1998. page 597.

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

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.

According to Bail & Poppe (2001)Bail, P. & Poppe, G. T. (2001). A taxonomic introduction to the recent Volutidae. In: Poppe, G. T. & Groh, K.: A Conchological Iconography. 30 pp., 5 plts. ConchBooks, Hackenheim, {{ISBN|3-925919-47-3}}. 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 within the Volutidae include:

• Adelomelon Dall, 1906
• Alcithoe H. Adams & A. Adams, 1853
• Amoria Gray, 1855Bail, P., Limpus, A. & Poppe, G. T. (2001): The Genus Amoria. In: Poppe, G. T. & Groh, K.: A Conchological Iconography. 50 pp., 93 plts. ConchBooks, Hackenheim, {{ISBN|3-925919-46-5}}.
• Ampulla Röding, 1798
• Arctomelon Dall, 1915
• Athleta Conrad, 1853
• Callipara Gray, 1847
• Calliotectum Dall, 1890
• Capensisvoluta S. G. Veldsman & J. H. Veldsman, 2022
• 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, 1817Bail, P., Chino, M. & Terryn, Y. (2010). The Family Volutidae. The endemic Far East Asian subfamily Fulgorariinae Pilsbry & Olsson, 1954. A revision of the recent species. In: Poppe, G. T. & Groh, K.: A Conchological Iconography. 74 pp., 64 plts. ConchBooks, Hackenheim, {{ISBN|978-3-939767-31-2}}.
• Fusivoluta E. von Martens, 1902

File:Naturalis Biodiversity Center - RMNH.MOL.233458 - Livonia mammilla (Sowerby, 1844) - Volutidae - Mollusc shell.jpeg

• 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

Image:Scaphella lamberti.jpg 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
• Pachycymbiola Ihering, 1907
• † 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

{{Reflist}}

{{More footnotes needed|date=January 2010}}

• [https://www.itis.gov/servlet/SingleRpt/SingleRpt?search_topic=TSN&search_value=74300 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, Volutidae (Mollusca: Gastropoda) of the Lakhra Formation (Earliest Eocene, Sindh, Pakistan): systematics, biostratigraphy and paleobiogeography; Zootaxa, 3826 (1) : 101–138, fig. 1-12. , 2014

{{Commons category|Volutidae}}

• [https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/page/7083312#page/11/mode/1up Biodiversity Library: Maxwell Smith, A review of the Volutidae, Beal-Maltbie Shell Museum, Florida, 1942]
• [https://pubs.usgs.gov/pp/0642/report.pdf Miocene Gastropods and Biostratigraphy of the Kern River Area, California; United States Geological Survey Professional Paper 642] {{PD-notice}}

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Category:Taxa named by Constantine Samuel Rafinesque

Category:Gastropod families

Category:Volutoidea