Acteon is a genus of small sea snails, predatory marine gastropod mollusks in the family Acteonidae, the barrel bubble snails.
The genus is named after Acteon, a character in Greek mythology.
The shell is convoluted, ovate, cylindrical, generally transversely striated. The aperture is oblong, entire, somewhat effuse at its base. It shows one or more folds upon the columella. The outer lip is thin, sharp, never having a varix.
The species of this genus are all marine, and convolute. They are almost always transversely striated. They are generally oval and cylindrical. The spire is more or less projecting and obtuse. The aperture is elongated, often narrowed at its posterior part, widened and somewhat effuse at its base. The folds of the columella vary from one to three. They are generally thick and obtuse.
In the genus Acteon, the individual teeth of the radula are very small. There are many teeth in each row.
According to the World Register of Marine Species (WoRMS), the following species with accepted names are included in the genus Acteon
Taxa inquerendaActeon mariae A. Adams, 1855Acteon modestus A. Adams, 1855Species brought into synonymyActeon (Maxacteon) Rudman, 1971: synonym of Maxacteon Rudman, 1971Acteon aequatorialis Thiele, 1925: synonym of Bathyacteon aequatorialis (Thiele, 1925)Acteon albus Sowerby, 1874: synonym of Rictaxis albus (Sowerby III, 1874)Acteon amabilis Watson, 1886: synonym of Colostracon amabile (Watson, 1886)Acteon augustoi Nobre, 1932: synonym of Acteon tornatilis (Linnaeus, 1758)Acteon austrinus Watson, 1881: synonym of Leucotina casta (A. Adams, 1853)Acteon browni Jordan, 1895: synonym of Crenilabium exile (Jeffreys, 1870)Acteon candidulus Monterosato, 1923: synonym of Acteon tornatilis (Linnaeus, 1758)Acteon chariis Watson, 1886: synonym of Callostracon chariis (Watson, 1886)Acteon cratericulatus Hedley, 1906: synonym of Maxacteon cratericulatus (Hedley, 1906)Acteon cumningi A. Adams, 1855: synonym of Mysouffa cumingii (A. Adams, 1855)Acteon dianae A. Adams, 1855: synonym of Leucotina casta (A. Adams, 1853)Acteon eloisae [sic]: synonym of Acteon eloiseae Abbott, 1973Acteon eloiseae Abbott, 1973; synonym of Punctacteon eloiseae (Abbott, 1973)Acteon etheridgii Bell T., 1870: synonym of Crenilabium exile (Jeffreys, 1870)Acteon exilis Jeffreys, 1870: synonym of Crenilabium exile (Jeffreys, 1870)Acteon fabreanus Crosse, 1873: synonym of Maxacteon fabreanus (Crosse, 1874)Acteon flammea (Gmelin, 1791): synonym of Maxacteon flammeus (Bruguière, 1789)Acteon flammeus (Bruguière, 1789): synonym of Maxacteon flammeus (Bruguière, 1789)Acteon huttoni Cossmann, 1895: synonym of Leucotina casta (A. Adams, 1853)Acteon kajiyamai (Habe, 1976): synonym of Punctacteon kajiyamai Habe, 1976Acteon kawamurai Habe, 1952: synonym of Maxacteon kawamurai (Habe, 1952)Acteon kirai Habe, 1949: synonym of Punctacteon kirai (Habe, 1949)Acteon liostracoides Dall, 1927: synonym of Crenilabium exile (Jeffreys, 1870)Acteon longissimus (Valdés, 2008): synonym of Japonactaeon longissimus Valdés, 2008Acteon natalensis (Barnard, 1963): synonym of Acteocina fusiformis A. Adams, 1850Acteon nipponensis Yamakawa, 1911: synonym of Japonactaeon nipponensis (Yamakawa, 1911)Acteon nitidus Verrill, 1882: synonym of Crenilabium exile (Jeffreys, 1870)Acteon pilsbryi Cossmann, 1902: synonym of Pupa affinis (A. Adams, 1855)Acteon praestitus Finlay, 1924: synonym of Leucotina casta (A. Adams, 1853)Acteon propius Dall, 1927: synonym of Crenilabium exile (Jeffreys, 1870)Acteon punctocaelatus(Carpenter, 1864) : synonym of Rictaxis punctocaelatus Carpenter, 1864Acteon punctostriatus (C. B. Adams, 1840): synonym of Japonactaeon punctostriatus (C. B. Adams, 1840)Acteon pygmaeus Grateloup, 1838: synonym of Chrysallida stefanisi (Jeffreys, 1869)† Acteon reticulatus Martin, 1884: synonym of † Pupa reticulata (Martin, 1884)Acteon semistriatus Glibert, 1952: synonym of Acteon tornatilis (Linnaeus, 1758)Actaeon senegalensis von Maltzan, 1885 : synonym of Acteon maltzani Dautzenberg, 1910Acteon sieboldii (Reeve 1842): synonym of Japonactaeon sieboldii (Reeve, 1842)Acteon subulatus Wood S., 1848: synonym of Acteon tornatilis (Linnaeus, 1758)Acteon torrei Aguayo & Rehder, 1936: synonym of Bullina torrei (Aguayo & Rehder, 1936)Acteon vagabundus Mabille & de Rochebrune, 1885: synonym of Toledonia vagabunda (Mabille, 1885)Acteon variegatus (Bruguiere, 1789): synonym of Punctacteon variegatus (Bruguière, 1789)† Acteon wetherellii Lea, 1833: synonym of Acteocina canaliculata (Say, 1826)The Indo-Pacific molluscan Database also includes the following species:
Acteon aethiopicus Martens, 1902Acteon edentulus Watson, 1883Acteon lactucaActeon minutusActeon pulchrior Melvill, 1904The Integrated Taxonomic Information System (ITIS) also includes the following species:
Acteon pusillus (Forbes, 1844)Acteon aethiopicus Martens, E.C. von, 1902Acteon antarcticus Thiele, 1912Distribution : subantarcticLength : 6.6 mmDescription : found at depths of 120 to 340 mActeon archibenthicola Habe, 1955Distribution : Indo-PacificActeon biplicatus Strebel, 1908Distribution : subantarctic, Argentina, Falkland Islands, Tierra del FuegoLength : 4.4 mmDescription : found at depths of 16 to 150 mActeon candens Rehder, 1939 Rehder’s baby bubbleDistribution : Caribbean, Gulf of Mexico, North Carolina, Florida, Western Atlantic Ocean.Length ; 10 mmDescription : found at depths of 10 to 20 m; glossy white shell with five whorls; body whorl contains at the base three brown spiraling bands; the top of each whorl has a narrow brown band.Acteon castus Hinds, 1844Distribution : West AmericaActeon cumingii Adams, 1854 (taxon inquerendum)Distribution : Brazil, FloridaLength : 10–20 mmDescription : found at depths of 10 to 360 m; lightbrown shell with a large first whorl; each whorl with many spiral windings.; outer lip notched.Acteon danaida Dall, 1881Distribution : Georgia, Caribbean, NE BrazilLength : 11 mmDescription :.found at depths of 370 to 620 m; white translucent shell with five whorls.Acteon delicatus Dall, 1889Distribution :Florida, Caribbean, Gulf of Mexico.Length : 10 mmDescription : found at depths of 135 to 565 mActeon dolichoroseus Iredale, 1936Distribution : Indo-PacificActeon edentulus Watson, 1883Distribution : Indo-PacificActeon elongatus Castellanos, Rolán & Bartolotta, 1987Distribution : ArgentinaLength : 8.5 mmDescription : found at depths of 150 to 600 mActeon exiguus Mörch, 1875Distribution : Venezuela, Surinam.Length : 6.5 mmDescription : found at depths of 14 to 18 mActeon finlayi McGinty, 1955Distribution : Florida, CaribbeanLength : 12 mmDescription : found at depths up to 360 mActeon fortis Thiele, 1925Distribution : Indo-PacificActeon hebes A. E. Verrill, 1885Distribution : Georgia, North Carolina.Length : 8 mmDescription : deepsea species; found at depths of 800 to 4700 mActeon incisus Dall, 1881Distribution : Georgia, Mexico, CubaLength : 10 mmDescription : found at depths of 30 to 1170 mActeon juvenis Dall, 1927Distribution : GeorgiaLength : 3 mmDescription : found at depths of over 500 mActeon lacunatus Dall, 1927Distribution : GeorgiaLength : 3 mmDescription : found at depths of 800 mActeon mariae A. Adams, 1855 (taxon inquerendum)Distribution : Indo-PacificActeon melampoides Dall, 1881Distribution : Virginia, Florida, CaribbeanLength : 9.6 mmDescription : deepsea species; found at depths of 400 to 4700 mActeon minutus (author unknown)Distribution : Indo-PacificActeon monterosatoi Dautzenberg, 1889Distribution : Europe, Mediterranean, AzoresActeon nakayamai Habe, 1952Distribution : JapanActeon ovulum (Pfeiffer, 1840)Distribution : CubaLength : 3.6 mmDescription :Acteon panamensis Dall, 1908Distribution : PanamaActeon parallelus Dall, 1927Distribution : GeorgiaLength : 3 mmDescription : found at depths of 530 to 800 mActeon particolor Dall, 1927Distribution : GeorgiaLength : 3.5 mmDescription : found at depths of 800 mActeon pelecais Marcus, 1972Distribution : BrazilLength : 9.5 mmDescription : found at depths to 85 mActeon perforatus Dall, 1881Distribution : Mexico, CubaLength : 14 mmDescription : found at depths of 330 to 1450 mActeon proprius Dall, 1927Distribution : America, Georgia.Length : 4.3 mmActeon pudicus Adams, 1854Distribution : Indo-PacificActeon pulchrior Melvill, 1904Distribution : Indo-PacificActeon retusus Verco, 1907Distribution : AustraliaActeon roseus Hedley, 1906Distribution : Indo-PacificActeon semicingulatus Dall, 1927Distribution : GeorgiaLength : 3 mmDescription : found at depths of 500 mActeon semisculptus E. A. Smith, 1890Distribution : Eastern Atlantic, St. HelenaLength : 4 mmActeon senegalensis Petit de la SaussayeDistribution : West AfricaActeon soyoae Habe, 1961Distribution : Indo-PacificActeon splendidulus Mörch, 1875Distribution : CaribbeanLength : 4.8 mmActeon subincisus Okutani, 1968Distribution : Indo-PacificActeon subroseus Iredale, 1936Distribution : Indo-PacificActeon teramachii Habe, 1950Distribution : Indo-PacificActeon tornatilis Linnaeus, 1767 Lathe acteonActeon traskii Stearns, 1897Distribution : California, PanamaLength : 18 mmActeon venustus d'Orbigny, 1840Distribution : West AmericaActeon virgatus (= Punctacteon virgatus) Reeve, 1842 Striped acteonDistribution : SW PacificLength : 25 mmDescription : cream-colored convex shell with five whorls with many spiral grooves; transversely decorated with wavy darkbrown bands,.