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Introduction

The Neogastropoda is comprised of mostly predatory snails, although a few groups have secondarily evolved to become omnivores, scavengers, detritusfeeders, parasites, and even herbivores. Herbivory is almost certainly an evolutionarily derived condition within the Neogastropoda based on available phylogenetic evidence and the prevalence of carnivory in potential sister groups to the Neogastropoda. This would also be consistent with a much groader trend of increasing levels of herbivory and herbivore diversity in marine ecosystems since the Mesozoic.

Among the carnivorous neogastropods, some actively seek prey (usually polychaetes or molluscs), whereas other graze on colonial animas (e.g., corals and tunicates). Pre subjugation often involves production of chemicals by the carnivore that attacks the prey's nervous system and renders it helpless during feeding. Some neogastropods make anti-coagulants that prevent blood clotting and thus allow the snail to feed for extended perods of time ona prey's blood. Colubrarias are the vampires of the coral reef. The feed on the blood of sleeping fish (See video of Colubraria spp. feeding). Other predatory adaptations include the buccinid whelk strategy of employing the shell lip to either wedge or chip open bivalve prey and muricid ability to bore holes through shelled prey, such as molluscs and barnacles. Recently, several species outside of the Muricidae have been found to bore holes as well, including some members of the Marginellidae and Buccinidae.