Galeodea echinophora

Galeodea echinophora Temporal range: Miocene-Recent PreꞒ Ꞓ O S D C P T J K Pg N
A shell of Galeodea echinophora
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Mollusca
Class:	Gastropoda
Subclass:	Caenogastropoda
Order:	Littorinimorpha
Family:	Cassidae
Genus:	Galeodea
Species:	G. echinophora
Binomial name
Galeodea echinophora (Linnaeus, 1758)

Galeodea echinophora, the spiny bonnet or helmet shell, ^[1] is a species of large sea snail, a marine gastropod mollusk in the family Cassidae, the helmet snails and bonnet snails. ^{[2] [3]}

var. adriatica

The fossil record of this species dates back from the Miocene to the Quaternary (age range: 23.03 to 0.781 million years ago). These fossils have been found in India, Spain and Italy. ^[4]

Fossil shell of Galeodea echinophora

Description

The shell of Galeodea echinophora can reach a length of 50–110 millimetres (2.0–4.3 in). ^[1] The shell is globular or oval, with a large body whorl. The surface of the shell is yellowish-brown. The aperture is wide, with denticulate lips, a curved siphonal canal and a large columellar edge. Tubercles are quite variable, usually not very pronounced and may be entirely absent. ^[5] These mollusks are carnivorous and eat mostly echinoderms, especially Echinocardium cordatum .

Distribution and habitat

This species can be found in the Eastern Mediterranean Sea and in the North Atlantic Ocean, mainly in Western Africa. ^[1] It lives on sandy and muddy bottoms over 10 m in depth.

References

1. "Galeodea (Galeodea) echinophora". Gastropods.com. Retrieved 12 January 2019.
2. Galeodea echinophora (Linnaeus, 1758) . Gofas, S. (2009). Galeodea echinophora (Linnaeus, 1758). In: Bouchet, P.; Gofas, S.; Rosenberg, G. World Marine Mollusca database. Accessed through the World Register of Marine Species at http://www.marinespecies.org/aphia.php?p=taxdetails&id=139023 on 14 August 2010 .
3. EU-Nomen
4. Paleobiology Database
5. Argonauti

• Arianna Fulvo et Roberto Nistri (2005). 350 coquillages du monde entier. Delachaux et Niestlé (Paris) : 256 p.
• Beu A.G. (2008) Recent deep-water Cassidae of the world. A revision of Galeodea, Oocorys, Sconsia, Echinophoria and related taxa, with new genera and species (Mollusca, Gastropoda).