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Description
Phanerophthalmus is a genus of bubble snails (Cephalaspidea) in the family Haminoeidae according to WoRMS. They live in the tropical Indo-West Pacific and are herbivorous: the digestive system resembles that of Haminoea, and P. luteus feeds on diatoms and is recorded on rubble, back-reef areas and seagrass beds. Wikipedia lists at least 17 species.
Identification
The body is elongate and cylindrical with a small headshield that resembles the Aglajidae, and an exhalant siphon at the rear. The small black eyes are on the upper surface of the head and set wide apart. The shell is a thin, wide-open, plate-like structure partly embedded in the mantle tissue.
Species in this genus (1)
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