Limacina

Limacina
	Limacina helicina
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Mollusca
Class:	Gastropoda
Clade:	Euopisthobranchia
Order:	Pteropoda
Family:	Limacinidae
Genus:	Limacina; Bosc, 1817
Type species
	Clio helicina; Phipps, 1774
Species
	See text
Synonyms
	list of synonyms Agadina A. A. Gould, 1852 junior subjective synonym; † Chadumella Korobkov, 1966; Crino Gistel, 1848 junior subjective synonym (Unnecessary substitute name for Limacina); Heterofusus Fleming, 1823; Limacina (Limacina) Bosc, 1817 · accepted, alternate representation; Lornia Marwick, 1926; Munthea van der Spoel, 1967 (unavailable name: no type species designated); Scaea Philippi, 1844; Spiratella Blainville, 1817 (Objective synonym of Limacina); Spiratella (Heterofusus) J. Fleming, 1823 ·; Spiratella (Pygmella) Tembrock, 1989; Spirialis Eydoux & Souleyet, 1840; † Valvatina Bornemann, 1855 (junior subjective synonym);

Limacina is a genus of swimming predatory sea snails commonly known as sea butterflies in the family Limacinidae. This genus contains some of the world's most abundant gastropod species.

Etymological meaning of the generic name Limacina is "snail-like".

As pelagic marine gastropods, Limacina swim by flapping their parapodia, inspiring the common name sea butterflies.

Sea butterflies are part of the clade Thecosomata. Sea angels, similar to Limacina, are in the order Gymnosomata. Both of these orders are still referred to as "pteropods". Sea butterflies of the order Thecosomata have a shell, while sea angels in the order Gymnosomata do not.