Tonna pennata

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Tonna pennata
Tonna pennata 01.JPG
Five views of a shell of Tonna pennata
Scientific classification Red Pencil Icon.png
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Mollusca
Class: Gastropoda
Subclass: Caenogastropoda
Order: Littorinimorpha
Family: Tonnidae
Genus: Tonna
Species:
T. pennata
Binomial name
Tonna pennata
(Mörch, 1853) [1]
Synonyms [2]
  • Buccinum maculosum Dillwyn, 1817
  • Dolium album Conrad, 1854
  • Dolium (Dolium) album(Conrad, 1854) (Recombination of synonym)
  • Dolium (Dolium) perdix pennata(Mörch, 1853) (Recombination)
  • Dolium pennatumMörch, 1853
  • Dolium perdix occidentalisMörch, 1877
  • Helix sulfurea Dall, 1889
  • Helix sulphurea C. B. Adams, 1849(Synonym – Not available)
  • Tonna (Tonna) maculosa(Dillwyn, 1817) (Recombination of synonym)
  • Tonna maculosa(Dillwyn, 1817) (Recombination of synonym)

Tonna pennata is a large species of sea snail, a marine gastropod mollusc in the family Tonnidae, the tun shells. [2] Commonly known as the Atlantic partridge tun, [3] the species is a predator of animals much larger than itself, particularly sea cucumbers.

Contents

Description

This shell varies in colour from beige to dark brown, and the whitish markings are quite variable, which may account for the large number of synonyms that exist. The shell is pear-shaped, with a moderately blunt apex; the wide, flared aperture with a thin lip occupies about three quarters of the length of the shell. The umbilicus is open and the columella twisted. The surface of the shell is finely striated, with shallow grooves between the ribs. The largest whorl has about twenty ribs, and there is no operculum. The maximum shell length is about 15 cm (6 in). In living animals, the mantle is white with brown markings, and flares widely as the animal moves about. The snail could be confused with Tonna galea , but that species is more globular with a blunter apex; another similar species is Eudolium bairdii , but that is usually found at much greater depths. Tonna perdix is a similar species from the Pacific Ocean, and the two may be part of a species complex. [4]

Distribution and habitat

Tonna pennata is found in shallow water in the tropical western Atlantic Ocean, the Caribbean Sea and the Gulf of Mexico and in the eastern Atlantic in the Canary Islands, Madeira and the West African coast. [4] It is usually found in reef areas, on coral and rock, and in sandy areas and seagrass meadows. [3] The minimum recorded depth for this species is 0 m; the maximum recorded depth is 13 m. [5]

Ecology

Tonna pennata is a predator, specialising in sea cucumbers, particularly those in the family Stichopodidae. It also preys on bivalve molluscs and fish. It has a long eversible proboscis, with which it envelops smaller prey, or presses the organ against larger prey, secreting saliva containing sulphuric acid which paralyses its victim and starts the digestive processes. It attacks prey much larger than itself, such as the slow-moving sea cucumber Isostichopus badionotus , which can grow to a length of 50 cm (20 in). [4] The sea cucumber has developed a strategy for getting rid of its attacker. It stiffens the area round the injury which then softens, and muscular contractions cause a patch of integument to autotomise (come away from its body). [4]

Related Research Articles

Tonnidae Family of gastropods

The Tonnidae are a family of medium-sized to very large sea snails, known as the tun shells. These are marine gastropod molluscs in the clade Littorinimorpha. The name "tun" refers to the snails' shell shape which resembles wine casks known as "tuns". While the shells are thin, they are also strong. There is no operculum. They are found in all tropical seas, where they inhabit sandy areas. During the day, they bury themselves in the substrate, emerging at night to feed on echinoderms, crustaceans, and bivalves. Some larger species also capture fish, using their expandable probosces to swallow them whole. Females lay rows of eggs that become free-swimming larvae for several months before settling to the bottom.

<i>Tonna cumingii</i> Species of gastropod

Tonna cumingi, common name Cuming's tun, is a species of very large sea snail, a tun snail, a marine gastropod mollusc in the family Tonnidae, the tuns.

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

Tonna is a genus of large sea snails, marine gastropod molluscs in the family Tonnidae, the tun or cask shells.

<i>Tonna dolium</i> Species of gastropod

Tonna dolium, common name the spotted tun, is a species of large sea snail or tun snail, a marine gastropod mollusc in the family Tonnidae, the tun shells.

<i>Tonna galea</i> Species of gastropod

Tonna galea, commonly known as the giant tun, is a species of marine gastropod mollusc in the family Tonnidae. This very large sea snail or tun snail is found in the North Atlantic Ocean as far as the coast of West Africa, in the Mediterranean Sea and the Caribbean Sea. The species was first described by Carl Linnaeus in 1758.

<i>Tonna perdix</i> Species of gastropod

Tonna perdix, common name the partridge tun, is a species of very large sea snail, a marine gastropod mollusc in the family Tonnidae, the tun shells.

Tonna berthae is a species of large sea snail or tun snail, a marine gastropod mollusc in the family Tonnidae, the tun shells.

<i>Tonna allium</i> Species of gastropod

Tonna allium, common name the costate tun, is a species of large sea snail, a marine gastropod mollusk in the family Tonnidae, the tun shells.

Tonna boucheti is a species of large sea snail, a marine gastropod mollusk in the family Tonnidae, the tun shells.

<i>Tonna canaliculata</i> Species of gastropod

Tonna canaliculata is a species of large sea snail, a marine gastropod mollusk in the family Tonnidae, the tun shells.

<i>Tonna deshayesii</i> Species of gastropod

Tonna deshayesii is a species of large sea snail, a marine gastropod mollusk in the family Tonnidae, the tun shells.

<i>Tonna dunkeri</i> Species of gastropod

Tonna dunkeri is a species of large sea snail, a marine gastropod mollusk in the family Tonnidae, the tun shells.

Tonna hawaiiensis is a species of large sea snail, a marine gastropod mollusk in the family Tonnidae, the tun shells.

Tonna morrisoni is a species of large sea snail, a marine gastropod mollusk in the family Tonnidae, the tun shells.

Tonna rosemaryae is a species of large sea snail, a marine gastropod mollusk in the family Tonnidae, the tun shells.

<i>Tonna sulcosa</i> Species of gastropod

Tonna sulcosa, common name banded tun, is a species of large sea snail, a marine gastropod mollusk in the family Tonnidae, the tun shells.

<i>Tonna tessellata</i> Species of gastropod

Tonna tessellata, the mosaic tun,tessellate tun or maculated tun, is a species of large sea snail, a marine gastropod mollusk in the family Tonnidae.

<i>Eudolium</i> Genus of gastropods

Eudolium is a genus of large sea snails, marine gastropod mollusks in the family Tonnidae, the tun shells.

<i>Tonna chinensis</i> Species of gastropod

Tonna chinensis, common name : the China tun, is a species of large sea snail, a marine gastropod mollusk in the family Tonnidae, the tun shells.

<i>Tonna variegata</i> Species of gastropod

Tonna variegata, commonly known as the variegated tun, is a species of marine gastropod mollusc in the family Tonnidae.

References

  1. ↑ Mörch O. A. (1853). Catalogus Conchyliorum quae reliquit D. Alphonso D'Aguirra & Gadea, comes de Yoldi, regis Daniae cubiculariorum princeps, ordinis Dannebrogici in prima classe & ordinis Caroli Tertii eques. Fasciculus primus. Cephalophora. Haec conchylia publica auctione calendis octobribus dividentur. L. Klein, Copenhague Vol. 1 (1852), 170 p. vol. 2, [IV] + 76 p. [post 1 aprile 1853].
  2. 1 2 Bieler R, Bouchet P, Gofas S, Marshall B, Rosenberg G, La Perna R, Neubauer TA, Sartori AF, Schneider S, Vos C, ter Poorten JJ, Taylor J, Dijkstra H, Finn J, Bank R, Neubert E, Moretzsohn F, Faber M, Houart R, Picton B, Garcia-Alvarez O, eds. (2021). "Tonna pennata (Mörch, 1853)". MolluscaBase. World Register of Marine Species . Retrieved 22 January 2021.
  3. 1 2 "Tonna pennata (Morch, 1852): Atlantic partridge tun". SeaLifeBase. Retrieved 10 January 2021.
  4. 1 2 3 4 Jeglot, Samuel; Muller, Yves (13 December 2021). "Tonna pennata (Mörch, 1853)" (in French). DORIS. Retrieved 10 January 2021.
  5. ↑ Welch, John J. (2010). "The "Island Rule" and deep-sea gastropods: re-examining the evidence". PLOS ONE. 5 (1): e8776. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0008776 . PMC   2808249 . PMID   20098740.
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