Olive snail

Olive snails, also known as olive shells and olives, scientific name Olividae, are a taxonomic family of medium to large predatory sea snails with smooth, shiny, elongated oval-shaped shells.

The shells often show various muted but attractive colors, and may be patterned also. They are marine gastropod molluscs in the family Olividae within the main clade Neogastropoda.

Also see the Olivellidae, the dwarf olives, which were previously grouped within this family, but which now have their own family.

Taxonomy

According to the taxonomy of the Gastropoda by Bouchet & Rocroi (2005) the family Olividae consists of three subfamilies:

Distribution

Olive snails are found worldwide, in subtropical and tropical seas and oceans.

Habitat