Terebridae

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Terebridae
Acus maculatus.jpg
live Oxymeris maculata
Scientific classification OOjs UI icon edit-ltr.svg
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Mollusca
Class: Gastropoda
Subclass: Caenogastropoda
Order: Neogastropoda
Superfamily: Conoidea
Family: Terebridae
Mörch, 1852 [1]
Genera

See text.

Diversity [2]
more than 400 species
Synonyms [3]
  • Acusidae
  • Pervicaciidae

The Terebridae, commonly referred to as auger shells or auger snails, is a family of predatory marine gastropods in the superfamily Conoidea. [3] They have extremely high-spired shells with numerous whorls; their common name refers to the resemblance of their shells to rock-drill bits. More than 400 species are recently known worldwide. [2] [4]

Contents

Taxonomy

This family consists of the following subfamilies (according to the taxonomy of the Gastropoda by Bouchet & Rocroi, 2005):

In 2019 there was a comprehensive revision of the taxonomy of the Terebridae by Fedosov, A. E.; Malcolm, G.; Terryn, Y.; Gorson, J.; Modica, M. V.; Holford, M.; Puillandre, N. in the Journal of Molluscan Studies, including the definition of new genera and the redistribution of many species to other genera. [4]

Shell description

The shells of the sea snails in this family are typically shaped like slender augers or screws. In that respect they share certain shell characters with the family Turritellidae, the turret shells.

One characteristic that distinguishes Terebridae from Turritellidae is the short anterior canal or notch in the aperture of the shell. Terebridae shells also tend to have characteristically flattened versus convex whorls, and they often have one or two plaits on the columella.

Numerous species in this family are grouped under the genera Terebra or Hastula , and a minority of species are placed in four other genera.

Life habits

These snails are sand-dwelling carnivores which live in warmer waters. In most species, a venomous barb similar to that of the cone snails, (see Conidae), is used to stun and immobilize prey, which typically consists of various marine worms.

A grow of shells of the Atlantic or eastern auger, Terebra dislocata Atlantic auger 0008.jpg
A grow of shells of the Atlantic or eastern auger, Terebra dislocata

Genera

Genera in the family Terebridae include: [2] [5]

Genera brought into synonymy

References

  1. ↑ Mörch O. A. L. (1852). Catalogus conchyliorum quae reliquit D. Alphonso d'Arguirra et Gadea Comes de Yoldi, (1): 74.
  2. 1 2 3 Terryn, Y. (2007): A Collectors Guide to Recent Terebridae (Mollusca: Neogastropoda). 57 pp., 65 color plts. ConchBooks & NaturalArt, Hackenheim & Gent, ISBN   978-3-939767-01-5
  3. 1 2 Gofas, S. (2012). Terebridae. World Register of Marine Species 2012-10-12
  4. 1 2
  5. ↑ Gofas, S. (2010). Terebridae. In: Bouchet, P.; Gofas, S.; Rosenberg, G. (2010) World Marine Mollusca database. Accessed through: World Register of Marine Species at http://www.marinespecies.org/aphia.php?p=taxdetails&id=160424 on 2010-04-01

Further reading

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