| Stramonita biserialis | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Stramonita biserialis shells | |
Scientific classification  | |
| Domain: | Eukaryota |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Mollusca |
| Class: | Gastropoda |
| Subclass: | Caenogastropoda |
| Order: | Neogastropoda |
| Family: | Muricidae |
| Genus: | Stramonita |
| Species: | S. biserialis |
| Binomial name | |
| Stramonita biserialis (Blainville, 1832) | |
| Synonyms [1] | |
| |
Stramonita biserialis is a species of sea snail, a marine gastropod mollusk in the family Muricidae, the murex snails or rock snails. [1]
S. biserialis is fairly small, with the shells of adults typically being 4-6cm long, although they can be bigger or smaller depending on their age. [2]
S. biserialis inhabits both the upper and lower areas of the intertidal zone, and as such has adapted to the strong wave action of the lower intertidal and the many predators of the upper intertidal in different ways. [3]
In the wave-exposed lower intertidal, S. biserialis have adapted more streamlined shells with thinner shell walls, a bigger shell opening, and foot area, more powerful attachment strength, and a higher metabolic rate.
Streamlined shells help them to be less affected by hydrodynamic force, while thinner shell walls allow them to spend less energy constructing shells that they don’t need to use against predators, which generally stick to the upper intertidal. A bigger operculum and foot area allow them to have much stronger attachment strength, which is probably also the reason behind their higher metabolic rate.
In the upper intertidal, S. biserialis has a thicker, smaller, and more rounded shell, with a smaller opening, in order to make it more difficult for predators to break through the shell.
They range from the Gulf of California to the northern coast of Chile. [2]
S. biserialis feeds upon oysters, mussels, barnacles, and even other snails. [2] [3]
They will consume snails from the genus Turbo (turban snails), but one of their most frequent especially on the genus Mexacanthina , which are competitors for space and food in many of the areas that S. bisarialia inhabits.
While muricid snails typically drill straight through the shell of their prey, S. biserialis instead drills through the outer edge of the operculum.
Once a hole has been drilled, they excrete toxins into the area. This is also done in commissure attacks on bivalves. It is also possible that, in addition to killing the prey, the toxins help to deter potential thieves of prey.
S. biserialis has been known to hunt in packs in order to take down large prey, or just to quicken the hunting process. Even though the food needs to be shared, this, combined with the toxins, allow S. biserialis to hunt prey many times faster than other sea snails, some of which can take up to a week to complete a drill hole. [2]
The shells of S. biserialis are frequently used by hermit crabs such as Calcinus californiensis, at least in part due to the commonness of the snails.
Particularly, the hermit crabs that reside within the surf choose shells from the Stramonita genus more frequently. This is most likely due to the fact that Stramonita shells are heavier, which ends up being a boon in heavily wave-washed areas, as it allows them to spend less energy fighting the pull of the waves. [4]
Contrarily, during times of stress (i.e. when a predator is nearby) hermit crabs tend to prefer shells that are lighter, in order to better be able to flee. Because of this, crabs using S. biserialis shells tend to panic and make more mistakes when choosing shells in the presence of predators, as they have less of an ability to flee. [5]
Stramonita haemastoma, common name the red-mouthed rock shell or the Florida dog winkle, is a species of predatory sea snail, a marine gastropod mollusc in the family Muricidae, the rock snails.
Stramonita is a genus of predatory sea snails, marine gastropod molluscs in the subfamily Rapaninae of the family Muricidae, the rock snails.
Vasula deltoidea is a species of sea snail, a marine gastropod mollusk in the family Muricidae, the murex snails or rock snails.
Tenguella granulata, common name the mulberry shell or the granulated drupe, is a species of sea snail, a marine gastropod mollusk in the family Muricidae, the murex snails or rock snails.
Nucella canaliculata, commonly known as the channeled dog winkle or the channeled purple, is a species of sea snail, a marine gastropod mollusk in the family Muricidae, the murex snails or rock snails. The shell grows to a maximum length of about 4 cm (1.6 in). This species is distributed in the northeastern Pacific Ocean from the Aleutian Islands to California.
Nucella lamellosa, commonly known as the frilled dogwinkle or wrinkled purple whelk, is a species of sea snail, a marine gastropod mollusk in the family Muricidae, the murex snails or rock snails. This species occurs in the eastern Pacific Ocean, its range extending in the intertidal zone from the Aleutian Islands southward to central California.
Nucella ostrina, the northern striped dogwinkle, is a species of sea snail, a marine gastropod mollusk in the family Muricidae, the murex snails or rock snails. Other common names for this mollusk include emarginate dogwinkle, short-spired purple dogwinkle, striped dogwinkle, ribbed dogwinkle, emarginate whelk, ribbed rock whelk, rock thais, short-spired purple snail and rock whelk.
Phycothais reticulata is a species of sea snail, a marine gastropod mollusk in the family Muricidae, the murex snails or rock snails.
Semiricinula muricoides is a species of sea snail, a marine gastropod mollusk in the family Muricidae, the murex snails or rock snails.
Semiricinula turbinoides is a species of sea snail, a marine gastropod mollusk in the family Muricidae, the murex snails or rock snails.
Stramonita rustica is a species of sea snail, a marine gastropod mollusk in the family Muricidae, the murex snails or rock snails.
Drupa aperta is a species of sea snail, a marine gastropod mollusk in the family Muricidae, the murex snails or rock snails.
The thinstripe hermit crab, Clibanarius vittatus, is a species of hermit crab in the family Diogenidae. It is found in the Caribbean Sea, the Gulf of Mexico and the western Atlantic Ocean.
Tenguella marginalba is a species of sea snail, a marine gastropod mollusc in the family Muricidae, the murex snails or rock snails. It is commonly known as the mulberry whelk and is found in shallow waters in the Indo-Pacific and around the north and east coasts of Australia.
Acanthais triangularis is a species of sea snail, a marine gastropod mollusk, in the family Muricidae, the murex snails or rock snails.
Mancinella echinulata, common names Lamarck's spiny rock shell, Lamarck's spiny rock snail, is a species of sea snail, a marine gastropod mollusk, in the family Muricidae, the murex snails or rock snails.
Reishia bitubercularis, common names bituberculate rock shell, bituberculate rock snail, chestnut rock shell, is a species of sea snail, a marine gastropod mollusk, in the family Muricidae, the murex snails or rock snails.
Semiricinula muricina is a species of sea snail, a marine gastropod mollusk, in the family Muricidae, the murex snails or rock snails.
Vasula melones is a species of sea snail, a marine gastropod mollusk, in the family Muricidae, the murex snails or rock snails.
Vasula speciosa is a species of sea snail, a marine gastropod mollusk, in the family Muricidae, the murex snails or rock snails.
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