| Clanculus | |
|---|---|
 | |
| A shell of Clanculus ormophorus | |
Scientific classification  | |
| Domain: | Eukaryota |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Mollusca |
| Class: | Gastropoda |
| Subclass: | Vetigastropoda |
| Order: | Trochida |
| Superfamily: | Trochoidea |
| Family: | Trochidae |
| Genus: | Clanculus Montfort, 1810 [1] |
| Type species | |
| Trochus pharaonius Linnaeus, 1758 | |
| Synonyms [2] | |
| |
Clanculus is a genus of sea snail, marine gastropod molluscs of the family Trochidae, the top shells. [2]
Clanculus is an old genus. Fossils found in Italy date from the Pliocene (C. corallinus, C. elevatus, C. bonfittoi, C. jussieui) [3] The distribution of this genus is worldwide, individuals of some species sometimes occur in great numbers, from the intertidal zone up to depths of 200 m. Many species can be found in Australia, New Zealand, the Indo-Pacific, Philippines, Sri Lanka, Seychelles, Japan, South Africa, Zanzibar, Indian Ocean, the Red Sea, West Africa, Angola, North Africa and Europe. [4]
These top shells are wide-conical and low spired. Their spirally ribbed sculpture consists of conspicuous regular rows of robust, round beads. The whorls show a profile with a deep suture and the final whorl inflated. The aperture of the shell is oval, with a strongly ridged lip. The umbilicus is generally deep. The color of the shell varies between orange, dark red, and chocolate brown.
The type species, Clanculus pharaonius, was described by Carl Linnaeus in 1758 as Trochus pharaonius.
