Columbellidae | |
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Live individual of the columbellid species Alia carinata | |
Scientific classification | |
Domain: | Eukaryota |
Kingdom: | Animalia |
Phylum: | Mollusca |
Class: | Gastropoda |
Subclass: | Caenogastropoda |
Order: | Neogastropoda |
Superfamily: | Buccinoidea |
Family: | Columbellidae Swainson, 1840[1] |
Genera | |
See text | |
Synonyms[2] | |
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The Columbellidae, the dove snails or dove shells, are a family of minute to small sea snails, marine gastropod mollusks in the order Neogastropoda.[2] [3]
These snails are characterized by their elongated, spiral shells and their carnivorous feeding habits. The family Columbellidae comprises numerous genera and species, many of which share similar shell morphologies and ecological niches.