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Unlike other sea snails, or even land snails, sea butterflies float and swim freely through the ocean, traveling along with the currents.This has led to a number of evolutionary adaptations in their bodies, including complete or near-complete loss of the shell and the gill in several families.
Pteropoda (common name pteropods, from the Greek meaning "wing-foot") are specialized free-swimming pelagic sea snails and sea slugs, marine opisthobranch gastropods.Most live in the top 10 m of the ocean and are less than 1 cm long.
The shells of sea snails are often found washed up on beaches. Because many are attractive and durable, they have been used to make necklaces and other jewelry since prehistoric times. The shells of a few species of large sea snails within the Vetigastropoda have a thick layer of nacre and have been used as a source of mother of pearl .
These snails have adapted themselves to a pelagic living : a transparent body and shell; the foot has evolved into a swimming fin that produces motion through undulation. [3] the proboscis is mobile and can be extended giving it a trunk-like appearance (giving rise to their common name : sea elephants).
Limacina is a genus of swimming predatory sea snails commonly known as sea butterflies in the family Limacinidae. This genus contains some of the world's most abundant gastropod species. [2] [3] Etymological meaning of the generic name Limacina is "snail-like". [4]
J. janthina is a member of the family Janthinidae, snails that trap air bubbles to maintain their positions at the surface of the ocean, where they are predators on hydrozoa. [6] The air bubbles are stabilized by the secretion of amphiphilic mucins which have evolved from epitoniid egg masses. [ 7 ]
Limacina helicina is a species of small swimming planktonic sea snail, in the family Limacinidae. It belongs to the group commonly known as sea butterflies (Thecosomata). [7] [8] Limacina helicina is a keystone species of mesozooplankton in Arctic pelagic ecosystems. [9] [10] [11]
The family Cavoliniidae is a taxonomic group of small floating sea snails, pelagic marine opisthobranch gastropod mollusks. [ 1 ] This family is part of a larger group which is commonly known as the sea butterflies because they swim by flapping what appear to be small "wings".