Neogastropods

Neogastropoda is a clade of marine gastropods within the larger grouping Caenogastropoda. It comprises many of the modern predatory snails, including cone snails, whelks, olive snails, moon snails, and related families. Neogastropods are among the most ecologically diverse and speciose groups of living gastropods.

Morphologically, neogastropods are typically characterized by a developed siphon and a shortened, often elongated shell with a siphonal canal. They possess a more highly differentiated head and, in many lineages, a toxoglossan radula adapted for venom delivery, especially in Conoidea.

Ecology and feeding: Most neogastropods are marine and occur from shallow waters to the deep sea. Many are active predators or scavengers. Cone snails use a venomous odontophore to capture prey; others drill holes in mollusk shells or pierce prey with their radula.

Diversity and distribution: Neogastropods constitute a large portion of living marine snail diversity, with hundreds of families and thousands of species. They have a wide geographic distribution, occupying tropical to cold temperate seas, and a rich fossil record dating back to the Mesozoic.

Taxonomy and phylogeny: Neogastropoda is a clade within Caenogastropoda. Its members are highly derived relative to other caenogastropods. Classifications vary among sources, but molecular and morphological studies support neogastropods as a major, cohesive lineage of predatory snails.