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Related FAQs: Marine Snails 1, Marine
Snails 2, Marine Snails 3, Marine
Snails 4, Marine Snails 5, Snail ID 1, Snail
ID 2, Snail ID 3,
Snail ID 4, Snail
ID 5, Snail ID 6,
Snail ID 7, Snail
ID 8, Snail
ID 9, Snail ID 10,
Snail ID 11, Snail ID 12,
Snail ID 13, Snail ID 14,
Snail ID 15, Snail ID 16,
Snail ID 17, &
Snail Behavior, Snail Selection, Snail
Compatibility,
Pest
Snails (Pyramidellids...),
Snail Systems, Snail
Feeding, Snail Disease, Snail
Reproduction, Snail Reproduction 2,
Sea
Slugs, Abalone, Marine Algae Eaters,
Related Articles: Abalone, Opisthobranchs
(Sea Slugs), Nudibranchs, Mollusks, Algae Control,
Nutrient Control and Export,
/The Conscientious Marine Aquarist
The Stomach-Footed Mollusks, Class
Gastropoda, Subclass Prosobranchia, Part 2
To: Part 1:
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by Bob Fenner |
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Superfamily Strombacea: Predominantly large mollusks with heavy shells with
flared lips, siphonal canals.
Family Xenophoridae: Struthiolaria, Aporrhais, the Conchs: Lambis,
Strombis.
| Lambis truncata, Red Sea pix. |
 
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| Strombus alatus, the Florida Fighting Conch. Here
fighting after death so it seems with a Queen Conch. most 2 1/3 to 3 1/2
inches. To five inches maximum. Shells with large knobs as last whorl of
spires. Opening reddish orange in life. Head mottled brown, with long
whitish eye stalks, large white ended proboscis. |
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| Strombus gigas, the Queen Conch. 6-9 inches
typically, to 12 in. maximum. Have large shells bearing a short conical
spire with blunt spikes. Shells orangish, often covered with algae.
Opening rosy pink. Covered by a claw-like operculum. Head gray with long
tentacled eyes. Live in Seagrass beds, cultured for aquariums.
Below, a two inch cultured individual, an adult shell occupied by a large
hermit crab in Cozumel, and typical in-the-wild appearance in Belize. |
Superfamily Heteropoda: Pelagic species with a finlike foot and
reduced shells. Atlanta, Carinaria.
Superfamily Hipponicacea: Families Family Hipponicidae™
Troschel,1861 Details
Ref=®(d)Boss, in Parker,1982:1003; N=6g4s Family Fossaridae
Details
Ref=®(d)Boss, in Parker,1982:1004; N=6g1s Family Vanikoridae
{Gray,1845} Details
Ref=®(d)Boss, in Parker,1982:1004; N=1g2s(g) Family Caledoniellidae
Family Hipponicidae: Hoof Shells. Attach limpet-like to the substrate
and don't move. Unlike true limpets (family Patellidae) these snails show spiral
growth in their shells. Four Hawaiian species.
| Hipponix imbricatus Gould 1846. Shingly Hoof Shell.
At times very abundant on the outsides of smooth boulders. Shallows to
about fifty feet of depth. May be endemic to Hawai'i. To about half an
inch in diameter. |
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Superfamily Tonnacea. Heavy marine snails. The Helmet Shells: Cassis,
Cassidarius. Bonnets: Phalium. Tritons: Cymatium. Tuns: Tonna.
Superfamily Naticacea: Moon Shells. Burrowing species with globose
shells and a drilling mechanism. Natica, Polinices.
Family Cassididae: Helmuts. Typically of globular shells with short spires
and apex whorls, and a vertical groove which the animals siphon protrudes. Feed
almost exclusively on urchins.
| Cassis cornuta (Linnaeus 1758), the Horned Helmut.
One of four species found in Hawai'i. Common in shallow sandy
environments. Found buried in sand with only whorls in evidence. Largest
Hawai'ian Helmut (to 15"); used as a "blow horn" by natives
in shows. Some authors believe specimens with fewer, higher horns are
males, shorter, more numerous females. Kona pix. |
 
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| Cassis flammea, the Flame Helmet. Helmet shaped
shell, with thick outer lip banded in seven or eight dark stripes. Feed at
night on sea urchins... overtaking and consuming them spines and all.
Bahamas pic. |
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Families Ranellidae and Personidae (often in Cymatidae in older
literature): Tritons. Usually have thick, heavy, sculptured shells, though
their beauty is often hidden by growth of their periostracum. Feed on
echinoderms and molluscs. Fourteen species in Hawai'i.
| Charonia tritonis (Linnaeus 1767), the Triton's
Trumpet (or Pu ole in Hawaiian). To twenty inches. . Indo-Pacific. Used by the Greek God Triton as
well as Hawaiian and other indigenous folks as a blow horn. Important as a
predator on Crown of Thorns Stars as well as other echinoderms. Hawai'i
pic. |
 
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Family Lamellariidae: http://seaslugforum.net/lamellar.htm,
Coriocella, Lamellaria, Marsenina, Marseniopsis, and
Mystinconchya.
| Coriocella hibyae, Maldives |
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Order Neogastropoda: The Advanced Gastropods. Possess a single
monopectinate gill, and a solitary auricle and nephridium. Triturating mechanism
is a radula with three teeth to a transverse row (termed a rachiglossate
condition) and osphradia with bipectinate folds. Entirely marine.
| Epitonium billeeanum (DuShane & Bratcher 1965).
Distinctive yellow body and shell color... matching their prey, the
ahermatypic Dendrophylliid genus Tubastrea. Tropical Indo-Pacific. N.
Sulawesi pix. |
 
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Superfamily Conacea (Toxoglossa). Predators with toxoglossal radulas, poison
glands, or no radula at all. Cone Shells: Conus, Turris. Terebridae: Terebris
(highly spired).
Family Conidae: (Superfamily Conacea, Toxoglossa). Predaceous species
with a toxoglossal radula or none, associated with poison glands. The Cone
Shells (Conus, Turris) and highly spired Terebridae (Terebra). Don't touch!
| Conus abraeus Linnaeus 1758, the Hebrew Cone.
Indo-Pacific. To 2 1/2" in length. Found exposed by day in sandy
areas feeding on polychaete worms. Distinctive "Hebrew
lettering" on heavy white shells. When alive the shell is covered
with a yellowy periostracum. Kona photo. |
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| Conus marmoreus Linnaeus 1758, the Marbled Cone.
Indo-Pacific. To 5" in length. Found at times exposed by day in sandy
areas feeding on other cones. This is one of a few toxic/venomous cone
species in Hawai'i. Cannot be handled anywhere safely. Kona photo. |
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| Conus textile Linnaeus 1758, the Textile Cone.
Indo-Pacific; Red Sea, much of the rest of the tropical Indo-Pac,
including Hawai'i. Feeds on
other prosobranch snails. Can be fatal to humans. Red Sea image. |
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Superfamily Muricacea. Heavy, conical shells and long siphonal canals. Drills
(Muricidae): Murex, Urosalpinx, Eupleura, Purpura Thais.
Family Muricidae: Murex
| Murex ramosa Images of a live specimen and a cluster
of eggs in Nuka Hiva, Marquesas, Polynesia. |
 
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| Murex tribulus. East Africa, Red Sea to Fiji. Feeds
on bivalves/mussels. N. Sulawesi pic. |
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Superfamily Buccinacea: Snails of many forms with long siphonal canals.
Whelks (Buccinidae): Buccinum, Neptunea. Melongenidae: Busycon.
Tulip Shells (Fasciolariidae): Fasciolaria, Mud Snails (Nassariidae): Nassarius,
Ilyanassa.
Family Fasciolariidae: Tulip Snails
| Cymbiola vespertilio (Linnaeus 1758), the Bat Volute.
Sandy, silty habitats where it hunts, consumes other gastropods. Western
Pacific; Philippines, Indo., New Guinea, N. Australia. Here consuming the
eggs of a squid in N. Sulawesi. |
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| Fasciolaria tulipa, True Tulip. Shell spindle-shaped.
Patterned in broken spirals of variable shape. Body dark colored, brown
operculum. 3-6 inches usually, 10 maximum. Cozumel pic*. |
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Family Nassariidae, Nassa Mud Snails.
Bigger PIX:
The images in this table are linked to large (desktop
size) copies. Click on "framed" images to go to the larger size. |
.JPG) |
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Nassarius variegates, Nassarius Snail. My favorite
for detritus consumption. |
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Superfamily Volutacea. Shells smooth, conical to low-spired. Olives (Olividae):
Oliva, Olivella. Miter Shells (Mitridae): Vexillum, Mira. Harp
Shells (Harpidae): Harpa. Volutes (Volutidae): Voluta, Cymbium.
| Marginella plumiosum, the Glowing Marginella. 1/4-1/2
inch long. Found on sandy bottoms in the tropical West Atlantic; common in
the Caribbean. White-cream shells with three faint yellowish bands. |
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| Pusiostoma mendicaria, Bumblebee snails... a darling of the
small reef clean up interest. To one inch in length. Family Mitridae,
Buccinidae.
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To: Part 1:
To: Opisthobranchs (Sea Slugs)
Bibliography/Further Information:
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