Peraclididae Introduction

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Family Peraclididae

Illustrations of this family

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The Peraclididae is a family of sea butterflies that live in the plankton at depths of 200-4000 m. Peraclids have an extremely fragile sinistral external shell, usually less than 7 mm in length, which has a long and distinctive rostrum, or beak-like extension of the outer lip of the aperture. Identification of peraclids is based primarily on the flaring and number of projections off the outer lip. The aperture itself can be sealed with an operculum. The parapodia are fused into a single swimming plate. Little is known of the biology and ecology of these deep-dwelling sea butterflies.

Peracle reticulata (d'Orbigny, 1834)

Peracle valdiviae (Meisenheimer, 1905)