Naticidae

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Naticidae
Temporal range: late Triassic or early Jurassic – Recent [1]
Natica hebraea.jpg
A live individual of Naticarius hebraeus (Martyn, 1786), viewed from the front
Scientific classification OOjs UI icon edit-ltr.svg
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Mollusca
Class: Gastropoda
Subclass: Caenogastropoda
Order: Littorinimorpha
Superfamily: Naticoidea
Family: Naticidae
Guilding, 1834
Type genus
Pseudomelatoma
Dall, 1918
Genera

See text

Diversity [1]
260–270 Recent species

Naticidae, common name moon snails or necklace shells, is a family of medium to large-sized predatory sea snails, marine gastropod molluscs in the clade Littorinimorpha. The shells of the species in this family are mostly globular in shape.

Contents

Naticidae is the only family in the superfamily Naticoidea.

It has been estimated that worldwide there are about 260–270 recent species of naticid snails. [1] This group is assumed to have originated in the late Triassic or in the early Jurassic. [1] Members of this family can be recognized by the shape of their shells, distinct appearance, or by their predatory behavior. [1]

Distribution

Naticids are widely distributed and occur worldwide and are considered to be a delicate part the web of nature amongst many others. The greatest diversity of both species and genera is found in tropical regions. Even so, naticid snails are also plentiful in temperate, Arctic and Antarctic waters. [1]

Habitat

Moon snails live on sandy substrates, at a great variety of depths depending on the species (from the intertidal zone to thousands of meters in depth). [1] They are often seen ploughing along in the sand, searching for bivalvic and other prey, resulting in countersunk bore-holes.

Divaricella quadrisulcata showing Naticid predation holes Divaricella quadrisulcata showing Naticid predation holes.jpg
Divaricella quadrisulcata showing Naticid predation holes

Life habits

50-second video of snails (most likely Natica chemnitzi and Cerithium muscarum ) feeding on the sea floor in the Gulf of California, Puerto Peñasco, Mexico.
Naticid boring in Stewartia from the Calvert Formation, Zone 10, Calvert Co., MD (Miocene). Naticid borehole Calvert.jpg
Naticid boring in Stewartia from the Calvert Formation, Zone 10, Calvert Co., MD (Miocene).
A moon snail (Naticarius orientalis) on the prowl at night. Found on the north coast of East Timor. Moon Snail.jpg
A moon snail ( Naticarius orientalis ) on the prowl at night. Found on the north coast of East Timor.
Notocochlis gualteriana Notocochlis gualteriana.JPG
Notocochlis gualteriana
A fossil shell of Naticarius millepunctatus from the Nicosia Formation, Pliocene, Cyprus Naticarius millepunctatus Pliocene Cyprus.jpg
A fossil shell of Naticarius millepunctatus from the Nicosia Formation, Pliocene, Cyprus

Naticids are predatory, feeding mostly on bivalves. They will also attack almost any other shelled mollusk they encounter in the sand, such as scaphopods and other gastropods, including other moon snails. [1] Additionally, Conuber sordidum was shown to prey on the soldier crab Mictyris longicarpus (Crustacea) by drilling predation. [2] [3] To catch soldier crabs, C. sordidum uses the same behaviour as when hunting shelled molluscan prey. [3]

The moon snail envelops the prey and then bores a hole through the shell using its radula and an acid secretion. Once the shell is bored open, the proboscis is used to consume the flesh of the prey. The hole in the shell, which has a "countersunk" appearance with chamfered edges, and which varies in size according to the species, is a characteristic diagnostic sign of moon snail predation.

In the breeding season, the female moon snail lays a rather stiff egg mass which includes sand and mucus. These objects wash up on sandy beaches fairly often, and are known by the common name "sand collars" because of their resemblance to an old-fashioned removable shirt collar or false-collar.

Human Interaction

In Korean cuisine, moon snails are called golbaengi (골뱅이) and eaten as golbaengi-muchim (moon snail salad). [4]

Moon snail shells are attractive and relatively large, and often popular in jewellery and ornamentation.

Taxonomy

Traditional classification

Some authors have suggested a distinct separation of the Naticidae into four subfamilies: Ampullospirinae, Naticinae, Polinicinae and Sininae. [5] This arrangement is mainly based on morphological data, such as details of the operculum including the material (calcareous in the Naticinae, corneous in the Polinicinae and Sininae) and size, and also the morphology of the shell. [6] [7] [8]

2005 taxonomy

The following four subfamilies were recognized in the taxonomy of Bouchet & Rocroi (2005): [9]

General

General in the family Naticidae include:

Unassigned to a subfamily:

subfamily Naticinae

subfamily Globisininae

subfamily Polinicinae Gray, 1847

subfamily Sininae

subfamily ?

Related Research Articles

The Naticinae are a subfamily of medium to large-sized predatory sea snails, marine gastropod molluscs in the family Naticidae, the moon snails.

<i>Tanea</i> Genus of gastropods

Tanea is a genus of sea snails, marine gastropod molluscs in the subfamily Naticinae ( of the family Naticidae, the moon snails or necklace shells.

<i>Polinices</i> Genus of gastropods

Polinices is a genus of predatory sea snails, marine gastropod molluscs in the subfamily Polinicinae of the family Naticidae, commonly known as moon snails.

Neverita aulacoglossa is a species of sea snail, a marine gastropod mollusc in the family Naticidae, the moons snails.

<i>Neverita</i> Genus of molluscs

Neverita is a genus of medium-sized to large sea snails, marine gastropod molluscs in the subfamily Polinicinae of the family Naticidae, the moon snails

<i>Natica</i> Genus of gastropods

Natica is a genus of small to medium-sized predatory sea snails, marine gastropods in the subfamily Naticinae of the family Naticidae, the moon snails. The genus was erected by Giovanni Antonio Scopoli in 1777.

<i>Neverita lewisii</i> Species of mollusc

Neverita lewisii, common name Lewis's moon snail, is a species of large operculated sea snail. It is a predatory marine gastropod in the family Naticidae, the moon snails. Traditionally, this species was assigned to either the genus Lunatia, the genus Polinices or the genus Euspira. Recently, it was assigned to the genus Neverita based on molecular data.

<i>Neverita josephinia</i> Species of mollusc (fossil)

Neverita josephinia is a species of predatory sea snail, a marine gastropod mollusk in the family Naticidae, the moon shells.

<i>Naticarius</i> Genus of gastropods

Naticarius is a genus of predatory sea snails, marine gastropods in the subfamily Naticinae of the family Naticidae, the moon snails.

<i>Euspira</i> Genus of gastropods

Euspira is a genus of medium-sized sea snails, marine gastropod molluscs in the subfamily Polinicinae of the family Naticidae, the moon snails.

<i>Mammilla melanostoma</i> Species of gastropod

Mammilla melanostoma is a species of predatory sea snail, a marine gastropod mollusk in the family Naticidae, the moon snails.

<i>Naticarius onca</i> Species of gastropod

Naticarius onca is a species of predatory sea snail, a marine gastropod mollusk in the family Naticidae, the moon snails.

<i>Neverita delessertiana</i> Species of mollusc

Neverita delessertiana is a species of predatory sea snail, a marine gastropod mollusk in the family Naticidae, the moon snails.

<i>Neverita duplicata</i> Species of mollusc

Neverita duplicata, common name the shark eye, is a species of predatory sea snail, a marine gastropod mollusk in the family Naticidae, the moon snails.

<i>Polinices mammilla</i> Species of gastropod

Polinices mammilla is a species of predatory sea snail, a marine gastropod mollusk in the family Naticidae, the moon snails.

<i>Mammilla</i> (gastropod) Genus of gastropods

Mammilla is a genus of predatory sea snails, marine gastropod mollusks in the subfamily Polinicinae of the family Naticidae, the moon snails.

<i>Conuber</i> Genus of gastropods

Conuber is a genus of predatory sea snails, marine gastropod mollusks in the family Naticidae, the moon snails.

<i>Conuber sordidum</i> Species of gastropod

Conuber sordidum is a species of predatory sea snail, a marine gastropod mollusk family Naticidae, the moon snails.

Cochlis is a genus of predatory sea snails, marine gastropod mollusks in the subfamily Naticinae of the family Naticidae, the moon snails.

<i>Conuber conicum</i> Species of gastropod

Conuber conicum, the conical moon snail, is a species of predatory sea snail, in the family Naticidae, the moon snails. It was first described in 1822 as Natica conica by Jean-Baptiste Lamarck.

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 Huelsken, T.; Marek, C; Schreiber, S; Schmidt, I; Hollmann, M. (2008). "The Naticidae (Mollusca: Gastropoda) of Giglio Island (Tuscany, Italy): Shell characters, live animals, and a molecular analysis of egg masses" (PDF). Zootaxa. 1770. Magnolia Press: 1–40. doi: 10.11646/zootaxa.1770.1.1 . ISSN   1175-5334 . Retrieved 7 June 2010.
  2. ↑ Ann M. Cameron (1966). "Some aspects of the behaviour of the soldier crab, Mictyris longicarpus". Pacific Science . 20 (2): 224–234. hdl:10125/7754.
  3. 1 2 Huelsken, T. (2011) First evidence of drilling predation by Conuber sordidus (Swainson, 1821) (Gastropoda: Naticidae) on soldier crabs (Crustacea: Mictyridae). Molluscan Research, 31(2), 125-131.
  4. ↑ National Institute of Korean Language (30 July 2014). "주요 한식명(200개) 로마자 표기 및 번역(영, 중, 일) 표준안" (PDF) (in Korean).
  5. ↑ Kabat A.R. 1991. The classification of the Naticidae (Mollusca: Gastropoda): Review and analysis of the supraspecific taxa. Bull. Mus. Comp. Zool., 152, 417-449.
  6. ↑ Cernohorsky W.O. 1971. The family Naticidae (Mollusca: Gastropoda) in the Fiji Islands . Auckland Inst. Mus., 8, 169-208.
  7. 1 2 Marincovich L.N. 1977. Cenozoic Naticidae (Mollusca: Gastropoda) of the Northeastern Pacific. Bulletins of American Paleontology, 70, 169-212.
  8. ↑ Bandel K. 1999. On the origin of the carnivorous gastropod group Naticoidea (Mollusca) in the Cretaceous with description of some convergent but unrelated groups. Greifswalder Geowissenschaftliche Beiträge, 6, 134-175.
  9. ↑ Bouchet, Philippe; Rocroi, Jean-Pierre; Frýda, Jiri; Hausdorf, Bernard; Ponder, Winston; Valdés, Ángel & Warén, Anders (2005). "Classification and nomenclator of gastropod families". Malacologia . 47 (1–2). Hackenheim, Germany: ConchBooks: 1–397. ISBN   3-925919-72-4. ISSN   0076-2997.
  10. ↑ Huelsken, T., Wägele, H., Peters, B., Mather, A., Hollmann, M. (2011) Molecular analysis of adults and egg masses reveals two independent lineages within the infaunal gastropod Naticarius onca (Röding, 1798) (Caenogastropoda: Naticidae). Molluscan Research, 31(3), 141-151. PDF
  11. ↑ Majima, R. 1989. Cenozoic fossil Naticidae (Mollusca: Gastropoda) in Japan. Bulletins of American Paleontology, 96 (331), 1-159.
  12. ↑ Huelsken T. et al. 2006. Neverita delessertiana (Recluz in Chenu, 1843): a naticid species (Gastropoda: Caenogastropoda) distinct from Neverita duplicata (Say, 1822) based on molecular data, morphological characters, and geographical distribution. Zootaxa, 1257:1-25.
  13. ↑ Huelsken, T., Tapken, D., Dahlmann, T., Wägele, H., Riginos, C., Hollmann, M. (2012). Systematics and phylogenetic species delimitation within Polinices s.l. (Caenogastropoda: Naticidae) based on molecular data and shell morphology. Organisms Diversity & Evolution. doi:10.1007/s13127-012-0111-5.
  14. ↑ Siemers C. T. & King N. R. (1974). "Macroinvertebrate paleoecology of a transgressive marine sandstone, Cliff House Sandstone (Upper Cretaceous), Chaco Canyon, northwestern New Mexico" PDF.

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