| Epitonium clathrus | |
|---|---|
 | |
Scientific classification  | |
| Domain: | Eukaryota |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Mollusca |
| Class: | Gastropoda |
| Subclass: | Caenogastropoda |
| Family: | Epitoniidae |
| Genus: | Epitonium |
| Species: | E. clathrus |
| Binomial name | |
| Epitonium clathrus | |
| Synonyms | |
List
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Epitonium clathrus, also known as the common wentletrap, is a species of small predatory sea snail, a marine gastropod mollusc in the family Epitoniidae, the wentletraps. [1]
Originally described by Carl Linnaeus as Turbo clathrus, [2] it was later known as Clathrus clathrus, Scalaria communis and Epitonium commune.
The common wentletrap is very common along the eastern Atlantic coast, in the North Sea up to Norway, the Mediterranean and the Black Sea. Live specimens have only rarely been observed. [3] While it does occur in the Baltic Sea, it has become a vulnerable species there. [4]
Epitonium clathrus is a predator of sea anemones (Anthozoa, Actiniaria) and corals (Anthozoa, Scleractinia). It has been seen feeding on the sea anemone Anemonia sulcata and found in the neighbourhood of sea anemones Sagartia troglodytes and Sargartiogeton undatus .
Shell: The cone-shaped shell reaches a height of 35 mm. It is shiny white to cream coloured, often with brown spots. Seven thick and very distinct costae (spiral ribs) wind around twelve to fifteen whorls. These convex whorls often contain two or three purple bands that can best seen when they cross the lamella of the outer lip. The protoconch is usually blunt. The aperture is entire and rounded. Its top coincides with a suture. The umbilicus is lacking. The operculum is horny and paucispiral.
Soft parts (data compiled from George Washington Tryon (1887) and Johannes Thiele (1929)): The short foot is truncated in front and extends far in advance of the head. The long tentacles are narrow and close together. The eyes are situated on the base of the tentacles. The mantle margin is simple and contains a rudimentary siphonal fold. The radula is wide and more or less bent at the end. The radular teeth are elongate and hook shaped or needle shaped, with many teeth in a series. The species is hermaphroditic.
Anthozoa is a class of marine invertebrates which includes the sea anemones, stony corals and soft corals. Adult anthozoans are almost all attached to the seabed, while their larvae can disperse as part of the plankton. The basic unit of the adult is the polyp; this consists of a cylindrical column topped by a disc with a central mouth surrounded by tentacles. Sea anemones are mostly solitary, but the majority of corals are colonial, being formed by the budding of new polyps from an original, founding individual. Colonies are strengthened by calcium carbonate and other materials and take various massive, plate-like, bushy or leafy forms.
The Trochidae, common name top-snails or top-shells, are a family of various sized sea snails, marine gastropod molluscs in the subclass Vetigastropoda. This family is commonly known as the top-snails because in many species the shell resembles a toy spinning top.
Wentletraps are small, often white, very high-spired, predatory or ectoparasitic sea snails, marine gastropod mollusks in the family Epitoniidae.
Epitonium is a genus of small predatory sea snails, marine gastropod mollusks. Epitonium is the type genus of the family Epitoniidae, the wentletraps.
Aeolidia papillosa, known as the common grey sea slug, is a species of nudibranch in the family Aeolidiidae.
Sea anemones are a group of predatory marine invertebrates constituting the order Actiniaria. Because of their colourful appearance, they are named after the Anemone, a terrestrial flowering plant. Sea anemones are classified in the phylum Cnidaria, class Anthozoa, subclass Hexacorallia. As cnidarians, sea anemones are related to corals, jellyfish, tube-dwelling anemones, and Hydra. Unlike jellyfish, sea anemones do not have a medusa stage in their life cycle.
Epitonium scalare, common name the precious wentletrap, is a predatory or ectoparasitic species of marine gastropod with an operculum, in the family Epitoniidae, the wentletraps.
Cirsotrema zelebori, common name : the slender wentletrap, is species of very small deepwater sea snail, a marine gastropod mollusk in the family Epitoniidae, the wentletraps.
Epitonium bucknilli is a species of small predatory or ectoparasitic sea snail, a marine gastropod mollusc in the family Epitoniidae, the wentletraps.
Epitonium jukesianum is a species of very small parasitic sea snail, a marine gastropod mollusc in the family Epitoniidae, the wentletraps.
Gyroscala lamellosa, common name : the lamellose wentletrap, is a species of medium-sized predatory sea snail, a marine gastropod mollusc in the family Epitoniidae, the wentletraps.
Epitonium tenellum, common name the small wentletrap, is a species of small ectoparasitic sea snail, a marine gastropod mollusk in the family Epitoniidae, the wentletraps.
Epitonium humphreysii, common name Humphrey's wentletrap, is a species of small predatory or ectoparasitic sea snail, a marine gastropod mollusc in the family Epitoniidae, the wentletraps.
Epidendrium billeeanum, commonly known as the Yellow sea snail or the Golden wentletrap, is a species of small predator and ectoparasite sea snail, a marine gastropod mollusc in the family Epitoniidae, the wentletraps.
Clelandella miliaris is a species of sea snail, a marine gastropod mollusk in the family Trochidae, the top snails.
Adamsia palliata is a species of sea anemone in the family Hormathiidae. It is usually found growing on a gastropod shell inhabited by the hermit crab, Pagurus prideaux. The anemone often completely envelops the shell and because of this it is commonly known as the cloak anemone or the hermit-crab anemone.
Metridium senile, the plumose, fluffy, or frilled anemone, is a species of sea anemone in the family Metridiidae. As a member of the genus Metridium, it is a type of plumose anemone and is found in the seas off north-western Europe and both the east and west coasts of North America.
The Enthemonae is a suborder of sea anemones in the order Actiniaria. It comprises those sea anemones with typical arrangement of mesenteries for actiniarians.
Epitonium novangliae, common name the New England wentletrap, is a species of small ectoparasitic sea snail, a marine gastropod mollusk in the family Epitoniidae, the wentletraps.
Janthinoidea is a superfamily of sea snails containing wentletraps (Epitoniidae) and surfing snails (Janthinidae). It includes species that have tethered egg masses, some of which are used for flotation.
