Diaphanoidea

Diaphanoidea is a taxonomic superfamily of small sea snails, marine opisthobranch gastropod mollusks or micromollusks in the Cephalaspidea, the headshield slugs and bubble snails.

Diaphanoidea
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Mollusca
Class:	Gastropoda
Order:	Cephalaspidea
Superfamily:	Diaphanoidea
Families
See text.

Species in this superfamily have small, flimsy, almost globular shells, known as paper bubble gastropod shells.

This superfamily is not monophyletic.^[1]

Distribution

Species in this superfamily are found in cold seas, such as the Arctic region, Antarctica, Australia, and New Zealand.

Habitat

The species occur in the sublittoral to abyssal zones.

Shell description

The shell is minute, thin, fragile, colorless to translucent, and usually less than 5 mm in size. The overall shape is ovate, pear-shaped, and bulbous. There is a sunken apex.

Families

Families in the superfamily Diaphanoidea include:

• Colinatydidae Oskars, Bouchet, and Malaquias, 2015
• Cylichnidae H. Adams & A. Adams, 1854
• Diaphanidae Odhner, 1922
• Mnestiidae Oskars, Bouchet, and Malaquias, 2015
• Notodiaphanidae Thiele, 1931 (taxon inquirendum)