Naticidae

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Naticidae
Naticarius hebraeus (Martyn, 1786)
Naticarius hebraeus (Martyn, 1786)
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Mollusca
Class: Gastropoda
Subclass: Orthogastropoda
Superorder: Caenogastropoda
Order: Sorbeoconcha
Suborder: Hypsogastropoda
Infraorder: Littorinimorpha
Superfamily: Naticoidea
Family: Naticidae
Guilding, 1834
Genera

See text.

Naticidae, the moon snails or naticoids, is a family of small to medium and large-sized predatory sea snails, marine gastropod molluscs in the order Sorbeoconcha. It has been estimated that worldwide there are about 260–300 Recent species in this family, which is assumed to have originated in the late Triassic or in the early Jurassic. Members of the Naticidae can easily be recognized by their shell shape, distinctive animals and their peculiar predatory behavior.


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[edit] Distribution

Members of this family are found in all seas, from the intertidal zone to a considerable depth. The greatest species and generic diversity is found in tropical regions, but Naticidae are also abundant in moderately temperate as well as Arctic and Antarctic waters.

[edit] Habitat

Moon snails live on sandy substrates. They are often found ploughing along in the sand searching for prey.

[edit] Shell description

The shells of naticids are turbinate to globose, usually solid and smooth, the aperture without either siphonal canal or sinus, and the inner lip parietal callus is often reflected across the umbilicus, joining a spiral funicle from within. The operculum is tight fitting, either horny or calcareous depending on the genus.

[edit] Life habits

Naticids are very active carnivores. They feed largely upon bivalves, but will attack almost any shelled mollusk they encounter in the sand, such as scaphopods and gastropods, including other moonsnails. They envelop the prey and then bore a hole into the shell with the aid of their radula and an acid secretion, after which the proboscis is inserted through the round hole. The very neatly drilled round hole, which has a "countersunk" appearance with chamfered edges, is a characteristic diagnostic sign of moon snail predation.

In the breeding season, the female moonsnail constructs an interesting interrupted ring-shaped nidus of agglutinated sand grains, lining the inside with thousands of small eggs. These objects wash up fairly often, and are known by the common name "sand collars" because of their resemblance to an old-fashioned removable shirt collar or false-collar.

[edit] Classification

Most authors suggested a distinct separation of the Naticidae into four subfamilies: Ampullospirinae, Naticinae, Polinicinae and Sininae. This arrangement is mainly based on morphological data, such as the surface material (calcareous in the Naticinae, corneous in the Polinicinae and Sininae) and size of the operculum or the morphology of the shell. To date, the naticid species are assigned into the following genera:

  • Amauropsis Mörch, 1857
  • Bulbus Brown, 1839
  • Calinaticina J. Q. Burch and Campbell, 1963
  • Cryptonatica Dall, 1892
  • Eunaticina Fischer, 1885
  • Euspira Agassiz in Sowerby, 1838
  • Falsilunatia Powell, 1951
  • Friginatica Hedley, 1916
  • Globisinum Marwick, 1924
  • Gyrodes Conrad, 1860
  • Haliotinella Souverbie, 1875
  • Lunatia Gray, 1847
  • Natica Scopoli, 1777
  • Naticarius Duméril, 1806
  • Neverita Risso, 1826
  • Polinices Montfort, 1810
  • Proxiuber Powell, 1933
  • Sigatica Meyer and Aldrich, 1886
  • Sinum Röding, 1798
  • Stigmaulax Mörch, 1852
  • Tanea Marwick, 1931
  • Tectonatica Sacco, 1890
  • Uberella Finlay, 1928

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