Xenophora

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Xenophora
Temporal range: Late Cretaceous–Recent
XenophoridApertureView.jpg
A ventral view of a shell of Xenophora pallidula , with attached gastropod shells
XenophoridSideView.jpg
A lateral view of the same shell
Scientific classification OOjs UI icon edit-ltr.svg
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Mollusca
Class: Gastropoda
Subclass: Caenogastropoda
Order: Littorinimorpha
Family: Xenophoridae
Genus: Xenophora
Fischer von Waldheim, 1807 [1]
Species

See text

Synonyms
  • PhorusMontfort, 1810
  • Xenophora (Austrophora)Kreipl, Alf & Kronenberg, 1999· accepted, alternate representation
  • † Xenophora (Endoptygma)Gabb, 1877 · accepted, alternate representation
  • Xenophora (Xenophora)Fischer von Waldheim, 1807· accepted, alternate representation
  • Xenophorus(incorrect subsequent spelling of Xenophora Fischer von Waldheim, 1807)

Xenophora, commonly called carrier shells, is a genus of medium-sized to large sea snails, marine gastropod mollusks in the family Xenophoridae, the carrier snails or carrier shells. [2] The genus Xenophora is the type genus of the family Xenophoridae.

Contents

Etymology

The name Xenophora comes from two ancient Greek words, and means "bearing foreigners", so-called because in most species the snail cements pieces of rock or shells to its own shell at regular intervals as the shell grows. [3]

Description

The shells of species within this genus vary from small to large (diameter of base without attachments 19–90 mm; height of shell 21–60 mm), depressed-conical, with narrow to very narrow, simple peripheral edge, non-porcellanous ventrally. Foreign objects are attached to all whorls, with generally more than 30% of dorsal surface obscured by these objects. The foreign objects are usually medium-sized to large. [4] Although the foreign objects are usually mollusk shells, pebbles, or small pieces of coral rock, in some instances a bottle cap has been attached by the snail to its shell.

Species

The genus Xenophora includes the following species and subspecies: [4] [5] [6]

Subgenus Xenophora (Austrophora)Kreipl, Alf & Kronenberg, 1999
Subgenus Xenophora (Xenophora)Fischer von Waldheim, 1807
Species brought into synonymy

Extinct species

A view of the fossil shell of Xenophora infundibulum Xenophoridae - Xenophora infundibulum.jpg
A view of the fossil shell of Xenophora infundibulum

Extinct species within this genus include: [7]

Fossil record

Fossils of Xenophora are found in marine strata from the Cretaceous to Quaternary (age range: from 89.3 to 0.012 million years ago.). Fossils are known all over the world. [7] [9]

See also

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<i>Onustus caribaeus</i> Species of gastropod

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Stellaria is a genus of large sea snails, marine gastropod mollusks in the family Xenophoridae, the carrier shells.

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References

  1. ↑ Fischer von Waldheim, Gotthelf (1807). Muséum Demidoff, ou catalogue systématique et raisonné des curiosités de la nature et de l'art. Vol. 3: Végétaux et animaux. p. 213.
  2. ↑ WoRMS (2012). Xenophora. Accessed through: World Register of Marine Species at http://www.marinespecies.org/aphia.php?p=taxdetails&id=138664 on 2012-06-28
  3. ↑ Xenophora.org website accessed 24 April 2014
  4. 1 2 Kreipl, K. & Alf, A. (1999): Recent Xenophoridae. 148 pp. incl. 28 color plts. ConchBooks, Hackenheim, ISBN   3-925919-26-0.
  5. ↑ Powell A. W. B. (1979). New Zealand Mollusca, William Collins Publishers Ltd, Auckland, New Zealand. ISBN   0-00-216906-1
  6. ↑ OBIS Indo-Pacific Molluscan Database
  7. 1 2 Paleobiology Database
  8. ↑ Stromboidea
  9. ↑ G. Manganelli, V. Spadini, S. Cianfanelli The xenophorid gastropods of the Mediterranean Pliocene: the record of the Siena Basin [ dead link ]
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