| Naticinae | |
|---|---|
| Tasmatica schoutanica | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Mollusca |
| Class: | Gastropoda |
| Subclass: | Caenogastropoda |
| Order: | Littorinimorpha |
| Superfamily: | Naticoidea |
| Family: | Naticidae |
| Subfamily: | Naticinae Guilding, 1834 |
| Type genus | |
| Natica Scopoli, 1777 | |
| Genera | |
|
See text | |
The Naticinae are a subfamily of medium to large-sized predatory sea snails, marine gastropod molluscs in the family Naticidae, the moon snails.
The Naticinae are characterized by their calcareous operculum and by the presence of a distinct funicle within the umbilicus, which is observable in most species. It is mainly a tropical group, which is brightly colored and patterned.
The shell is small to moderate in size, varicoloured, ornamented with bands, spots or axial flames: often smooth, occasionally sculptured with spiral striae or radial ribs at the sutures. The spire is low, the body whorl is inflated. The aperture is semiovate, rarely ovate, smooth within. The labial lip is moderately thin. The umbilicus is open; the funicle is well developed, occasionally covered by a parietal callus
The operculum is calcareous, unisulcate or multisulcate. The rachidian of the radula has 1-5 cusps in addition to 2 accessory basal cusps, lateral with 1-7 cusps; inner marginal generally bifid but occasionally simple, outer marginal always simple.
The animal is moderate in size, andis able to retract completely into its shell.
Genera within the subfamily Naticinae include: