>     I was hoping someone could direct me towards literature on the family
>Struthiolariidae. While there is an abundance of paleo-oriented publications
>on the family, I can find little information on the life history, habits,
>etc. of extant species (other than their ranges and the fact that they are
>filter-feeders and burrow). For example, to what extent do these animals
>burrow (semi-infaunal, infaunal, etc)? Any information would be greatly
>appreciated, including any personal observations.

As you say, there's plenty of paleo literature on the family, from
Cretaceous and Cenozoic (Conchothyra, Perissodonta, Struthiolarella,
Antarctodarwinella, Monalaria, Struthiolaria and its subgenera
Tylospira and Pelicaria). And nothing on Recent forms.

M R Morton published some on living Struthiolaria (a genus first
recorded in the latest Oligocene). You could try googling his name,
or for "Struthiolaria".

This stromboid family is probably descended from... um... dammit...
whatsit... argh!!... southern south American genus/family... pffffft!
Memory failure. Ah! Yes. Pugnellus, Pugnellidae.

Living species of Struthiolaria (S. papulosa, S. vermis and S.
scutulata, which differs from Struthiolaria ss only in the terminal
varix's inductura being produced for an entite whorl) inhabit clean
sandy environments in shallow (c2-20m) of water. They crawl freely on
the sand, leaving a prominent broad trail (personal obs, 2m water, S.
papulosa) and burrow very shallowly. They live in a sandy crypt with
2 obvious openings, both produced by the proboscis, and (I think)
filterfeed from within. I have found only 2 live S. vermis, bioth in
very sheltered water at 3m depth, on the sand surface. S. papulosa
inhabits oceanic sands.

The first recorded New Zealand spp are Conchothyra parasitica and C.
marshalli, which are sympatric in one locality known to me (the only
locality that i know the latter from at all), in the Maastrichtian
(latest Cretaceous). Where the former occurs it can be in a 3m-thick
shellbed composed of densely-packed shells (shell-supported) of
almost entirely this sp, with very rare and huge Pacitrigonia
sylvesteri mixed in.

Next record is the Danian (early Paleocene) C. marshalli,
sympatrically with Perissodonta minor. Then a gap til the late early
Eocene, with the rare Monalaria gracilis. After this we come to the
early middle Eocene, where a single specimen of an undescribed
Monalaria occurs. The next record is the early middle Eocene M.
concinna, locally common. Another gap brings us to the late Oligocene
S. calcar, a long-lived species going under various synonyms into the
middle Miocene. Subgenus Callusaria occurs in the early Miocene to
early Pliocene. Pelicaria develops in the latest Miocene, with
channelling of the suture being the main defining character (the
latest Miocene species S. cincta is an intergrade between
Struthiolaria ss and S (Pelicaria), lacking a channel).

 From Antarctica come fossil genera Antarctodarwinella and
Struthiolarella, from the Eocene mainly. I have a few specimens of
these, but they tend toward poorish preservation or difficult
preparation.

I have a few not-so-good images of Conchothyra and Monalaria, if
anyone wants to see.