Cerithiidae
Encyclopedia
Common name
A common name of a taxon or organism is a name in general use within a community; it is often contrasted with the scientific name for the same organism...
the cerithiids or ceriths, is a large family of medium-sized marine
Marine (ocean)
Marine is an umbrella term. As an adjective it is usually applicable to things relating to the sea or ocean, such as marine biology, marine ecology and marine geology...
gastropods in the clade Sorbeoconcha
Sorbeoconcha
Sorbeoconcha is a taxonomic clade of snails, i.e. gastropods, mainly marine species with gills and opercula, within the clade Caenogastropoda.The taxon Sorbeoconcha was named by Winston Ponder and David R. Lindberg in 1997.-1997 taxonomy:...
.
Distribution
Ceriths are found worldwide on sandSand
Sand is a naturally occurring granular material composed of finely divided rock and mineral particles.The composition of sand is highly variable, depending on the local rock sources and conditions, but the most common constituent of sand in inland continental settings and non-tropical coastal...
y bottoms, reef flats or coral reef rock covered with sand and algae
Algae
Algae are a large and diverse group of simple, typically autotrophic organisms, ranging from unicellular to multicellular forms, such as the giant kelps that grow to 65 meters in length. They are photosynthetic like plants, and "simple" because their tissues are not organized into the many...
in the sublittoral zone of warm or temperate waters. Most are found in tropical areas. A few occur along the Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
an coastline and about 30 species in two genera are found along the American
Americas
The Americas, or America , are lands in the Western hemisphere, also known as the New World. In English, the plural form the Americas is often used to refer to the landmasses of North America and South America with their associated islands and regions, while the singular form America is primarily...
coast. A few species occur in estuarine areas of mangrove
Mangrove
Mangroves are various kinds of trees up to medium height and shrubs that grow in saline coastal sediment habitats in the tropics and subtropics – mainly between latitudes N and S...
forests close to the sea. Only a few species of the subfamily Bittiinae are found in deep water.
Description
Their slender shellMollusc shell
The mollusc shell is typically a calcareous exoskeleton which encloses, supports and protects the soft parts of an animal in the phylum Mollusca, which includes snails, clams, tusk shells, and several other classes...
is elongated with a pointed spire
Spire (mollusc)
A spire is a descriptive term for part of the coiled shell of mollusks. The word is a convenient aid in describing shells, but it does not refer to a very precise part of shell anatomy: the spire consists of all of the whorls except for the body whorl...
. They vary in size from 3 mm (Bittium alternatum) to 150 mm (Cerithium nodulosum
Cerithium nodulosum
Cerithium nodulosum is a species of sea snail, a marine gastropod mollusk in the family Cerithiidae....
). The smallest shells are found in the subfamily Bittiinae.
The many whorl
Whorl (mollusc)
A whorl is a single, complete 360° revolution or turn in the spiral growth of a mollusc shell. A spiral configuration of the shell is found in of numerous gastropods, but it is also found in shelled cephalopods including Nautilus, Spirula and the large extinct subclass of cephalopods known as the...
s have radial sculpture
Sculpture (mollusc)
The sculpture of a mollusc shell is the three-dimensional ornamentation on the outer surface, as distinct from the basic shape of the shell itself or colouration. Sculpture may be concave as well as convex. Sometimes it has microscopic detail. Sculpture refers to the calcareous outer layer, not the...
with axial ridges and nodules. The aperture
Aperture (mollusc)
The aperture is an opening in certain kinds of mollusc shells: it is the main opening of the shell, where part of the body of the animal emerges for locomotion, feeding, etc....
shows at its base a vague curve or a distinct siphonal canal
Siphonal canal
Some sea marine gastropods have a soft tubular anterior extension of the mantle called a siphon through which water is drawn into the mantle cavity and over the gill and which serves as a chemoreceptor to locate food. In many carnivorous snails, where the siphon is particularly long, the structure...
. The aperture is closed off by a thin oval brown operculum
Operculum (gastropod)
The operculum, meaning little lid, is a corneous or calcareous anatomical structure which exists in many groups of sea snails and freshwater snails, and also in a few groups of land snails...
that is corneous
Corneous
Corneous is a biological and medical term meaning horny, in other words made out of a substance similar to that of horns and hooves in some mammals....
and paucispiral. The palatal wall of the aperture
Aperture
In optics, an aperture is a hole or an opening through which light travels. More specifically, the aperture of an optical system is the opening that determines the cone angle of a bundle of rays that come to a focus in the image plane. The aperture determines how collimated the admitted rays are,...
is somewhat enlarged and often shows a varix
Varix (mollusc)
A varix is an anatomical feature of the shell of certain sea snails, marine gastropod molluscs.It is a thickened axial ridge in the shell of some families of gastropods. A varix is located at intervals around the whorl, and is formed by considerable thickening of the outer lip at a resting stage...
.
The taenioglossan radula
Radula
The radula is an anatomical structure that is used by molluscs for feeding, sometimes compared rather inaccurately to a tongue. It is a minutely toothed, chitinous ribbon, which is typically used for scraping or cutting food before the food enters the esophagus...
has seven teeth in each row. The single rachidian tooth is flanked on each side by one rhomboid
Rhomboid
Traditionally, in two-dimensional geometry, a rhomboid is a parallelogram in which adjacent sides are of unequal lengths and angles are oblique.A parallelogram with sides of equal length is a rhombus but not a rhomboid....
al lateral tooth and two long, hook-like marginal teeth.
Subfamilies
The following three subfamilies have been recognized in the taxonomy of Bouchet & Rocroi (2005)Taxonomy of the Gastropoda (Bouchet & Rocroi, 2005)
The taxonomy of the Gastropoda as it was revised by Philippe Bouchet and Jean-Pierre Rocroi is currently the most up-to-date overall system for classifying gastropod mollusks...
:
- Alabininae DallW. H. DallWilliam Healey Dall was an American naturalist, a prominent malacologist, and one of the earliest scientific explorers of interior Alaska...
, 1927 - Bittiinae Cossmann, 1906
- Cerithiinae Fleming, 1822 - synonyms: Rhinoclavinae Gründel, 1982; Colininae Golikov & Starobogatov, 1987
Bandel (2006) used different classification: Bittiinae on its own family level named Diastomatidae (overview of WoRMS).
Some authors classify Argyropezinae Bandel, 2006 as a synonym of Bittiinae.
Genera
Genera within the family Cerithiidae include:Alabininae
- Alabina Dall, 1902 - type genus of the subfamily Alabininae, the type species of the genus Alabina is extinct
Bittiinae
- BittiumBittiumBittium is a genus of very small sea snails, marine gastropod molluscs in the family Cerithiidae, the horn snails. - Species :Species in the genus Bittium include:* Bittium adamsi* Bittium aedonium * Bittium afrum...
Gray, 1847 - type genus of the subfamily Bittiinae, synonym: Dahlakia Biggs, 1971
Cerithiinae
- CerithiumCerithiumCerithium is a genus of small to medium-sized sea snails, marine gastropod mollusks in the family Cerithiidae, the ceriths. The genus is known from the Cretaceous to the Recent periods.- Species :Species within this genus include:...
Bruguière, 1789 - type genus of the subfamily Cerithiinae, synonyms: Bayericerithium Petuch, 2001; Contumax Hedley, 1899; Thericium Monterosato, 1890 - ColinaColina (gastropod)Colina is a genus of sea snails, marine gastropod mollusks in the family Cerithiidae.-Species:Species within the genus Colina include:* Colina ciclostoma Bozzetti, 2008* Colina macrostoma * Colina pinguis Colina is a genus of sea snails, marine gastropod mollusks in the family...
H. Adams & A. Adams, 1854 - RhinoclavisRhinoclavisRhinoclavis is a genus of marine snails, gastropod molluscs in the family Cerithiidae.-Occurrence:They occur throughout the Indo-Pacific, the Marshall Islands, the Solomon Islands, the Philippines, Australia and the Gulf of Aqaba...
Swainson, 1840 - synonyms: Clava Fabricius, 1823; Ochetoclava Woodring, 1928; Proclava Thiele, 1929; Vertagus Iredale, 1931
subfamily ?
- AtaxocerithiumAtaxocerithiumAtaxocerithium is a genus of sea snails, marine gastropod molluscs in the family Cerithiidae.-Species:Species in the genus Ataxocerithium include:* Ataxocerithium abbreviatum * Ataxocerithium abnormale...
Tate, 1893 - Bezanconia Bayle in Fischer, 1884
- BittiolumBittiolumBittiolum is a genus of sea snails, marine gastropod mollusks in the family Cerithiidae.-Species:Species within the genus Bittiolum include:* Bittiolum alternatum * Bittiolum varium...
Cossmann, 1906 - synonym: Pasithea I. Lea, 1833 - CacozelianaCacozelianaCacozeliana is a genus of sea snails, marine gastropod mollusks in the family Cerithiidae.-Species:Species within the genus Cacozeliana include:* Cacozeliana furva * Cacozeliana fuscocapitulum...
Strand, 1928 - CassiellaCassiellaCassiella is a genus of sea snails, marine gastropod mollusks in the family Cerithiidae.-Species:Species within the genus Cassiella include:* Cassiella abylensis Gofas, 1987...
Gofas, 1987 - CerithidiumCerithidiumCerithidium is a genus of sea snails, marine gastropod mollusks in the family Cerithiidae.The genus has been used as valid for Indo-Pacific species following Hasegawa , on the grounds that it is older than Clathrofenella Kuroda & Habe, 1952. However, the Mediterranean type species is a Bittium, for...
Monterosato, 1884 - synonym: Clathrofenella Kuroda & Habe, 1952 - CerithioclavaCerithioclavaCerithioclava is a genus of sea snails, marine gastropod mollusks in the family Cerithiidae.-Species:Species within the genus Cerithioclava include:* Cerithioclava garciai Houbrick, 1986...
Bruguière, 1789 - ClavocerithiumClavocerithiumClavocerithium is a genus of sea snails, marine gastropod mollusks in the family Cerithiidae.-Species:Species within the genus Clavocerithium include:* Clavocerithium taeniatum...
Cossmann, 1920 - ClypeomorusClypeomorusClypeomorus is a genus of sea snails, marine gastropod mollusks in the family Cerithiidae.-Species:Species within the genus Clypeomorus include:* Clypeomorus admirabilis Houbrick, 1985* Clypeomorus adunca...
Jousseaume, 1888 - DialaDialaDiala is a genus of sea snails, marine gastropod mollusks in the family Dialidae.-Species:Species within the genus Diala include:* Diala albugo * Diala goniochila Diala is a genus of sea snails, marine gastropod mollusks in the family Dialidae.-Species:Species within the genus Diala include:* Diala...
Adams 1861 - FastigiellaFastigiellaFastigiella is a genus of sea snails, marine gastropod mollusks in the family Cerithiidae.-Species:Species within the genus Fastigiella include:* Fastigiella carinata Reeve, 1848...
Reeve 1848 - GlyptozariaGlyptozariaGlyptozaria is a genus of sea snails, marine gastropod mollusks in the family Turritellidae.-Species:Species within the genus Glyptozaria include:* Glyptozaria columnaria Cotton & Woods, 1935* Glyptozaria opulenta...
Iredale, 1924 - GourmyaGourmyaGourmya is a genus of sea snails, marine gastropod mollusks in the family Cerithiidae.-Species:Species within the genus Gourmya include:* Gourmya gourmyi * Gourmya argutum...
Bayle, 1884 - IttibittiumIttibittiumIttibittium is a genus of sea snails, marine gastropod mollusks in the family Cerithiidae.-Species:Species within the genus Ittibittium include:* Ittibittium houbricki * Ittibittium nipponkaiense...
Houbrick, 1993 - Liocerithium Tryon, 1887 - synonym: Liocerithium Sacco, 1894
- Lirobittium Bartsch, 1911
- PseudovertagusPseudovertagusPseudovertagus is a genus of sea snails, marine gastropod mollusks in the family Cerithiidae.-Species:Species within the genus Pseudovertagus include:* Pseudovertagus aluco * Pseudovertagus clava...
Vignal, 1904 - RoyellaRoyellaRoyella is a genus of sea snails, marine gastropod mollusks in the family Cerithiidae....
Iredale, 1912 - ScaliolaScaliolaScaliola is a genus of sea snails, marine gastropod mollusks in the family Scaliolidae.-Species:Species within the genus Scaliola include:* Scaliola arenosa A. Adams* Scaliola caledonica Crosse, 1870* Scaliola elata Issel, 1869...
Adams, 1860 - Stylidium Dall, 1907
- Styliferina Adams, 1860
- TasmaliraTasmaliraTasmalira is a genus of marine gastropod molluscs in the family Cerithiidae, the cerithids.-Species:Species within the genus Tasmalira include:* Tasmalira vitrea * Tasmalira wellingtonensis Dell, 1956- Further reading :...
DellRichard DellDr Richard Kenneth Dell was a New Zealand malacologist. He was born in Auckland. As a young boy, he took an interest in shells, collecting them from the shores of Waitemata Harbour. He even managed to start a "museum" in his backyard...
, 1956 - Trochocerithium Sacco, 1897
- VaricopezaVaricopezaVaricopeza is a genus of sea snails, marine gastropod mollusks in the family Cerithiidae.-Species:Species within the genus Varicopeza include:* Varicopeza crystallina * Varicopeza pauxilla...
Gröndel, 1976