Cumia reticulata

Last updated

Cumia reticulata
Naturalis Biodiversity Center - RMNH.MOL.207682 - Cumia reticulata (Blainville, 1829) - Colubrariidae - Mollusc shell.jpeg
Shells of Cumia reticulata
Scientific classification OOjs UI icon edit-ltr.svg
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Mollusca
Class: Gastropoda
Subclass: Caenogastropoda
Order: Neogastropoda
Family: Colubrariidae
Genus: Cumia
Species:
C. reticulata
Binomial name
Cumia reticulata
(Blainville, 1829)
Synonyms [1]
  • Colubraria reticulata(Blainville, 1829)
  • Colubraria reticulata var. profundorum Ardovini, 2014 (unavailable name: established as a variety after 1960)
  • Colubraria reticulata var. spongiarum (Kobelt, 1901)
  • Cumia decussataBivona-Bernardi, 1838
  • Epidromus reticulatus(Blainville, 1829)
  • Epidromus reticulatus var. albinaMonterosato, 1880
  • Epidromus reticulatus var. atraMonterosato, 1880
  • Epidromus reticulatus var. fasciataMonterosato, 1880
  • Epidromus reticulatus var. fulvaMonterosato, 1880
  • Epidromus reticulatus var. minorMonterosato, 1880
  • Epidromus reticulatus var. niveaMonterosato, 1880
  • Epidromus reticulatus var. spongiarumKobelt, 1901
  • Fusus intertextus(Helbling, 1779)
  • Murex (Fusus) intertextusHelbling, 1779
  • Murex calfiusBrusina, 1870
  • Triton mediterraneumSowerby G.B. II, 1833
  • Triton reticulatumBlainville 1829
  • Triton turricolatumDeshayes, 1835
  • Tritonium bonanniDelle Chiaje, 1830

Cumia reticulata, [1] common name the false triton, is a species of sea snail, a marine gastropod mollusk in the family Colubrariidae. In this family, there are at least 6 species that are known to feed on blood. The trait of feeding on blood is likely shared by the entire family.

Contents

It is commonly known as the vampire snail because it feeds on the blood of fish when they are asleep. Colubraria reticulata are commonly found in rocky and coral environments that are tropical or subtropical and temperate seas. [2] They are found in the benthic zone, which is the ecological region at the lowest level of a body of water.

Description

Members of the Neogastropoda are mostly gonochoric and broadcast spawners. The lifecycle of these snails start off as embryos that develop into planktonic trochophore larvae. After the larval stage, they evolve into juvenile veligers before becoming fully grown adults. The length of the shell varies between 10 mm and 64 mm.

Distribution

The type locality is Sicily. It also occurs off West Africa. They are also located in the Southwest Mediterranean Sea and are not considered as widely dispersed species.

Feeding habits

The vampire snail feeds at night when fishes are asleep. Their modified mouthpart can slice flesh like tiny scalpels. At the end of their mouth is a mounted proboscis. These snails possess a long thin proboscis to feed on the blood of fish. Once contact is made between the proboscis and the skin of the fish, the proboscis extends its length to gain access to the blood vessel. [2] Their proboscis can stretch 3 times its body length and allows them to bypass many fishes defenses to blood sucking. An example would be the Parrot fish's mucus sleeping bag.

Secretion of Bioactive Molecules

Upon contact with the skin, anesthetic is secreted to numb the area. Colubraria reticulata secretes chemicals that disrupts the process of blood clotting and wound healing. Common anesthetics from protein families ShK, Turripeptide, ADA, and CAP-ShK were found to be present during hematophagy. In addition, anticoagulants such as PS1, Meprin, and Kunitz were also present to prevent blood clotting. The anticoagulants are active until the blood is fully digested. These snails have secondary glands in the oesophagus that secrete proteins to keep the blood liquified in their guts. Furthermore, vasopressors were found and because the proboscis is thin, it is hypothesized for vasopressors to increase blood pressure to allow maximization of blood income and feeding time. [2] This is significant because the snail's proboscis is not very muscular so without vasopressors, they cannot suck blood efficiently.

Turritoxin which is unique to the vampire snail, is also produced by coneshell. Although the function of turritoxin is specifically unknown to the vampire snail, scientists have looked towards coneshell and hypothesized that the use of turritoxin is of the same manner. [2]

Related Research Articles

<i>Cochlicopa</i> Genus of gastropods

Cochlicopa, whose species are known as pillar snails, is a genus of small air-breathing land snails, terrestrial pulmonate gastropod mollusks in the family Cochlicopidae.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Colubrariidae</span> Family of gastropods

Colubrariidae are a taxonomic family of medium-sized sea snails, marine gastropod mollusks in the superfamily Buccinoidea. This family has no subfamilies.

<i>Steromphala cineraria</i> Species of gastropod

Steromphala cineraria is a species of small sea snail, a marine gastropod mollusc in the family Trochidae, the top snails.

Mangelia payraudeauti is a species of sea snail, a marine gastropod mollusk in the family Mangeliidae.

<i>Mangelia unifasciata</i> Species of gastropod

Mangelia unifasciata is a species of sea snail, a marine gastropod mollusk in the family Mangeliidae.

<i>Cyrillia linearis</i> Species of gastropod

Cyrillia linearis is a species of sea snail, a marine gastropod mollusk in the family Raphitomidae.

Fusiturris undatiruga, common name the wrinkled turrid, is a species of sea snail, a marine gastropod mollusk in the family Fusiturridae.

Fusus is a genus of small to large sea snails, marine gastropod molluscs in the family Fasciolariidae, the spindle snails and tulip snails.

<i>Hastula aciculina</i> Species of gastropod

Hastula aciculina is a species of sea snail, a marine gastropod mollusk in the family Terebridae, the auger snails.

<i>Pisania striata</i> Species of gastropod

Pisania striata is a species of sea snail, a marine gastropod mollusk in the family Pisaniidae.

<i>Cumia</i> Genus of gastropods

Cumia is a genus of sea snails, marine gastropod mollusks in the family Colubrariidae.

<i>Pisania</i> Genus of gastropods

Pisania is a genus of marine whelk in the family Pisaniidae. Some species prey on barnacles.

<i>Colubraria</i> Genus of gastropods

Colubraria is a genus of sea snails, marine gastropod mollusks in the family Colubrariidae. Members of this genus lack a radula and feed by sucking blood from fish.

<i>Naytia granulosa</i> Species of gastropod

Naytia granulosa is a species of sea snail, a marine gastropod mollusk in the family Nassariidae, the Nassa mud snails or dog whelks.

<i>Steromphala adriatica</i> Species of gastropod

Steromphala adriatica is a species of sea snail, a marine gastropod mollusk in the family Trochidae, the top snails.

<i>Gibbula philberti</i> Species of gastropod

Gibbula philberti is a species of sea snail, a marine gastropod mollusk in the family Trochidae, the top snails.

<i>Steromphala umbilicaris</i> Species of mollusc

Steromphala umbilicaris is a species of sea snail, a marine gastropod mollusk in the family Trochidae, the top snails.

<i>Jujubinus exasperatus</i> Species of gastropod

Jujubinus exasperatus, the Rough Top Shell, is a species of sea snail, a marine gastropod mollusk in the family Trochidae, the top snails.

<i>Zonaria zonaria</i> Species of gastropod

Zonaria zonaria is a species of sea snail, a cowry, a marine gastropod mollusk in the family Cypraeidae, the cowries.

<i>Alvania discors</i> Species of gastropod

Alvania discors is a species of minute sea snail, a marine gastropod mollusk or micromollusk in the family Rissoidae.

References

  1. 1 2 Bouchet, P. (2010). Cumia reticulata (Blainville, 1829). In: MolluscaBase (2017). Accessed through: World Register of Marine Species at http://www.marinespecies.org/aphia.php?p=taxdetails&id=527497 on 2017-11-15
  2. 1 2 3 4 Modica, Maria Vittoria; Lombardo, Fabrizio; Franchini, Paolo (2015). "The venomous cocktail of the vampire snail Colubraria reticulata (Mollusca, Gastropoda)" (PDF). BMC Genomics. 16. doi: 10.1186/s12864-015-1648-4 . PMID   26054852.

Further reading

This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.