juhiliinidest

Juhiliinid are a group of small, marine gastropods that belong to the family Lecanoridae. They first appeared in the fossil record during the late Cretaceous, with the earliest specimens found in what is now the western United States. The name "juhiliinid" derives from the Greek words *jouth*, meaning "young," and *helis*, meaning "shell," reflecting their delicate, translucent shells.

Morphologically, juhiliinids possess a fragile, conical shell that ranges in size from 0.5 to 1.5 cm in diameter. Their shells are often coiled in a single whorl and exhibit fine, radial striations. The aperture is small and typically features a thin lip. The animal’s soft body is pale yellowish, with a prominent foot and a head bearing two tentacles. Juhiliinids secrete a calcareous exoshell that is highly porous, which may contribute to their role in biogenic sediment formation.

These organisms are primarily benthic, inhabiting shallow coastal waters from the intertidal zone down to depths of about 30 m. They favor sandy bottoms and are often associated with seagrass meadows, where they feed on microscopic algae and detritus. Studies have shown that juhiliinids prefer warmer waters, with optimal temperatures between 18 °C and 24 °C.

While scientific interest has focused mainly on their taxonomy and paleoecology, juhiliinids also have a minor role in local fisheries as a food source for small fish and crustaceans. Their fragile shells have been found to accumulate in sediment cores, providing a useful index for reconstructing past environmental conditions in temperate marine ecosystems.