Stellaria (gastropod)
Encyclopedia
Stellaria is a genus
of large sea snail
s, marine
gastropod mollusks in the family
Xenophoridae
, the carrier shells.
medium-sized to large (diameter of base without attachments 65-128 mm; height of shell 48-70 mm), rather depressed to moderately high-spired, widely umbilicate, with wide peripheral flange (30-40 % of total diameter at base) which is simple in some species or is digitate or divided into numerous long, hollow, narrow, parallel-sided spines. Ventral side of peripheral flange non-porcellanous. Foreign objects usually small to very small covering less than 30 % of dorsal surface.
Genus
In biology, a genus is a low-level taxonomic rank used in the biological classification of living and fossil organisms, which is an example of definition by genus and differentia...
of large sea snail
Sea snail
Sea snail is a common name for those snails that normally live in saltwater, marine gastropod molluscs....
s, 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...
gastropod mollusks in the family
Family (biology)
In biological classification, family is* a taxonomic rank. Other well-known ranks are life, domain, kingdom, phylum, class, order, genus, and species, with family fitting between order and genus. As for the other well-known ranks, there is the option of an immediately lower rank, indicated by the...
Xenophoridae
Xenophoridae
Xenophoridae, common name carrier shells, are a taxonomic family of medium-sized to large sea snails, marine gastropod mollusks in the clade Littorinimorpha....
, the carrier shells.
Description
ShellsGastropod shell
The gastropod shell is a shell which is part of the body of a gastropod or snail, one kind of mollusc. The gastropod shell is an external skeleton or exoskeleton, which serves not only for muscle attachment, but also for protection from predators and from mechanical damage...
medium-sized to large (diameter of base without attachments 65-128 mm; height of shell 48-70 mm), rather depressed to moderately high-spired, widely umbilicate, with wide peripheral flange (30-40 % of total diameter at base) which is simple in some species or is digitate or divided into numerous long, hollow, narrow, parallel-sided spines. Ventral side of peripheral flange non-porcellanous. Foreign objects usually small to very small covering less than 30 % of dorsal surface.
Species
Species within the genus Stellaria include:- Stellaria chinensisStellaria chinensisStellaria chinensis is a species of large sea snail, a marine gastropod mollusk in the family Xenophoridae, the carrier shells....
(Philippi, 1841) - Stellaria giganteaStellaria giganteaStellaria gigantea is a species of large sea snail, a marine gastropod mollusk in the family Xenophoridae, the carrier shells....
(Schepman, 1909) - Stellaria lambertiStellaria lambertiStellaria lamberti is a species of large sea snail, a marine gastropod mollusk in the family Xenophoridae, the carrier shells....
(Souverbie, 1871) - Stellaria solarisStellaria solarisStellaria solaris, common name the sun carrier shell, is a species of large sea snail, a marine gastropod mollusk in the family Xenophoridae, the carrier shells....
(Linnaeus, 1764) (type speciesType speciesIn biological nomenclature, a type species is both a concept and a practical system which is used in the classification and nomenclature of animals and plants. The value of a "type species" lies in the fact that it makes clear what is meant by a particular genus name. A type species is the species...
of Stellaria) - Stellaria testigeraStellaria testigeraStellaria testigera is a species of large sea snail, a marine gastropod mollusk in the family Xenophoridae, the carrier shells....
(Bronn, 1831)- Stellaria testigera digitata von Martens, 1878
- Stellaria testigera profunda Ponder, 1983