Atys is a genus of very small to medium-sized sea snails, marine opisthobranch gastropod mollusks in the family Haminoeidae. All the species within the genus Atys are herbivores. They occur in tropical and warm oceans and seas. They are cephalaspideans, part of the suborder of headshield slugs and bubble snails. The genus was named after Atys, a king of Alba Longa, who was mentioned in ancient Greek texts. Description These snails have a shell which is very lightweight and translucent, with a sunken spire. The shape of the shell in some species resembles a bubble, and because of this, species in this genus are commonly known as Atys bubble shells or Atys bubble snails. (Several other shelled families within the Cephalaspidea are even more commonly known as "bubble shells" or "bubble snails", for example, the Bullidae.) The anatomy of the soft parts of most species within this genus has not been studied, but it seems that some of the species in this genus can not reliably be discriminated on the basis of shell characters alone. Unfortunately however, a considerable number of the species were originally named from empty shells, and as a result, their exact identity may be problematic. Species Species within the genus Atys include: Atys alayoi Espinosa, Fernandez-Garcès & Ortea, 2004 Atys angustatus Smith, 1972 Atys beberkiriana Martin, 1906 Atys bicolor Bozzetti, 2009 Atys blainvilliana Récluz, 1843 (nomen dubium - probably a synonym of Atys jeffreysi) Distribution : Mediterranean, Turkey Atys brocchii Michelotti, 1847 Distribution : Mediterranean, Turkey Atys caribaeus d'Orbigny, 1841 Also known as Caribbean glassy-bubble, Sharp’s paper-bubble Distribution : Florida, Caribbean, Brazil, Western Atlantic Ocean. Length : 11 mm Description : found at depths up to 183 m; small ovate white shell, narrowing toward the apex; sunken spire; body whorl has spiral grooves at the edges; narrow aperture Atys castus Carpenter, 1864 clean glassy-bubble Distribution : Baja California, Mexico Length : 10 mm Atys chelidon Melvill, 1912 Atys cheverti Brazier, 1879 Atys chimera Baker & Hanna, 1927 Distribution : Baja California, Mexico Length : 7 mm Atys constrictus Habe, 1952 Atys convexa Preston, 1908 Atys costulosa Pease, 1869 Atys curta A. Adams, 1850 striate bubble Atys cylindraeus (Helbling, 1779) Atys cylindrica Hinds, 1779 Distribution : Indo-Pacific Length : 30 mm Description : Thin, fragile, subcylindrical shell with sunken apex. Color is white or very light brown. it may have a few brown axial lines. Atys dactylus