Key to Order Cephalaspidea

Phylum Mollusca
 Class Gastropoda
  Subclass Opisthobranchia

[Cephalaspideans have a shield-shaped head (cephalic shield) which is often used to plow through the substrate.  Nearly all also have an internal or external shell, though one pelagic family has no shell.  None have rhinophores, though some have rolled extensions of mantle on the head that may look somewhat like rhinophores.]

Taken primarily from  Kozloff, 1987, 1996  p. 237 (Copyright 1987, 1996, University of Washington Press.  Used in this web page by permission of University of Washington Press)
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1a  Shell either not visible externally or too small to accommodate the animal when it retracts 2
1b Shell large enough tot accommodate the animal when it retracts 7
2a Shell visible externally, but partly covered by the mantle 3
2b Shell not visible externally 4
3a Width of the aperture, at the level where the shell is broadest, slightly more than one-third the width of the shell; height up to about 2 cm Haminoea vesicula
3b Width of the aperture, at the level where the shell is broadest, about two-thirds the width of the shell; height up to about 1.5 cm Haminoea virescens
4a
4b
5a
5b
6a
6b
7a
7b
8a
8b
9a
9b
10a
10b
11a
11b
12a
12b



Taxonomic Levels Represented in This Key:
Haminoea vesicula


Page created by Robbie Wheeling, 7-2002
Edited by:  Dave Cowles 8-2002, 2005
                 Hans Helmstetler 1-2003