Velutina

Velutina is a genus of small sea snails, marine gastropod mollusks in the family Velutinidae. Species within the genus Velutina include: The shell is thin, mostly external, calcareous, auriform, paucispiral and invested by a velvety epidermis. The spire is lateral and diminutive. The suture is well impressed. The aperture is very large and rounded with the thin, almost continuous lip. The columellar lip is a little reflected. There is no operculum or umbilicus. The oval animal is convex above and little spiral. It has a large oblong foot. The margin of the mantle is developed and more or less reflected over the edge of the shell. The head is broad and depressed. The two large tentacles are subulate, blunt, far apart, with eyes sessile on prominences at their outer bases. The mouth has a short tube. The formula of the radula is 2·1·1·1·2. The central tooth is subquadrangular, multicuspid; the central cusps are very long and sharp; lateral teeth are multicuspid, marginals are narrow, with a few obsolete denticles on the margin. Species in the genus Velutina resemble the pulmonate genus Otina, but Velutina are strictly marine. Sometimes they are found out at sea, but usually live among stones near low tide. This article incorporates public domain text from the reference.