Dissecmidae

Dissecmidae is a small and obscure family of marine gastropod mollusks known mainly from fossil material, with the genus Dissecmus designated as the type. Its exact position within Gastropoda has varied; some classifications treat Dissecmidae as a distinct lineage, while others place it as a subfamily of a larger family or as a stem group near caenogastropods. Because soft parts are rarely preserved, diagnoses rely on shell features rather than anatomy.

Shells attributed to Dissecmidae are typically minute to small, often with high spires and pronounced sculpture; aperture and lip morphology are used to distinguish genera. The lack of soft-tissue data means many generic boundaries remain provisional.

Diversity is limited in the living fauna, and most taxa are known from fossils. The known record suggests a historical distribution in warm, shallow seas, with Indo-Pacific affinities in some deposits.

Ecology is poorly understood; as with many microgastropods, members likely fed on microalgae, biofilms, or detritus on substrates in reef-associated or soft-bottom habitats.

Taxonomic status remains unsettled in contemporary classifications, and Dissecmidae illustrates the difficulties of classifying taxa with scant material.

References include major catalogs such as the World Register of Marine Species and FossilWorks, which list Dissecmidae as a valid but variably placed taxon in certain schemes.