Caecum (gastropod)

Caecum
Caecum trachea
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Mollusca
Class: Gastropoda
(unranked): clade Caenogastropoda
clade Hypsogastropoda
clade Littorinimorpha
Superfamily: Rissooidea
Family: Caecidae
Genus: Caecum
Fleming, 1817
Type species
Caecum tracheum tracheum Montagu, G., 1803
Species

See text.
Synonyms[1]
  • Brochina Gray, 1857
  • Brochus T. Brown, 1827
  • Caecum (Defolinia) Weisbord, 1962
  • Odontidium Philippi, 1836
  • Pictocaecum Habe, 1978

Caecum is a genus of minute sea snails, marine gastropod micromolluscs or micromollusks in the family Caecidae or blind shells. [1]

Contents

Distribution

This genus is distributed worldwide in warm and temperate seas. Many species live in sponge, in sandy spots on reefs or in grassy beds in shallow waters in bays and lagoons. Some species are very common, such as the Beautiful Caecum (Caecum pulchellum), but they can be easily missed as they are so tiny. Many are rather rare, but this usually originates in lack of sampling.

Shell description

The shells in this genus, like the others in the family,are very small with a length between 2 mm and 6 mm. >Their colour is white to yellowish white and some are almost translucent. They are unusual in that the teleoconch of the adult shell is a curving tube for most of its length. In the first stage of the shell it is spiral-shaped but soon becomes cylindrical. The shell is sealed with a permanent calcareous plug at one end and (when the animal has withdrawn into the shell) with a circular,multispiral, horny operculum at the other end, the shell aperture. The sculpture is smooth or consists of a close-set, large number of annular ridges.

Feeding habits

Blind shells feed on one-celled animals, collected on sand grains or pebbles.

Species

Species in the genus Caecum include[2] [1]:

  • Caecum abnormale Carpenter, 1857
  • Caecum achirona de Folin, 1867
  • Caecum amaltheanum Hedley, 1899
  • Caecum amamiense Habe, 1978
  • Caecum amputatum Ch. Hedley, 1894
  • Caecum amydroglyptum Rehder, 1980
  • Caecum angustum de Folin, 1879
  • Caecum antillarum Carpenter, 1858 - Antillean caecum
  • Caecum arabicum Issel, 1869
  • Caecum arcuatum de Folin, 1867
  • Caecum armoricum de Folin, 1869 - De Folin's lagoon snail. This species is fully protected in the United Kingdom under the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981 since 1992.[3]
  • Caecum atlantidis R. B. Watson, 1897
  • Caecum attenuatum de Folin, 1879
  • Caecum auriculatum de Folin, 1868
  • Caecum bahiahondaense A. M. Strong & J. G. Hertlein, 1939
  • Caecum bakeri (Bartsch, 1920)
  • Caecum beaufortensis Ward and Blackwelder 1987
  • Caecum bimamillatum de Folin, 1867
  • Caecum bipartitum de Folin, 1870
  • Caecum borneoensis de Folin, 1867
  • Caecum brasilicum de Folin, 1874
  • Caecum brennani Raines & Pizzini, 2009
  • Caecum breve de Folin, 1867
  • Caecum bucerium Golikov, 1967
  • Caecum californicum Dall, 1885 - California caecum
  • Caecum calvertense Martin, 1904
  • Caecum campanulatum Raines & Pizzini, 2005
  • Caecum campe Pilsbry and Olsson, 1941
  • Caecum carolinianum Dall, 1892 - Carolina caecum
  • Caecum carpenteri (Bartsch, 1920)
  • Caecum caverna Moolenbeek, Faber & Iliffe, 1989
  • Caecum chilense Stuardo, 1962 [4]
  • Caecum chinense de Folin, 1879
  • Caecum chipolanum Gardner, 1947 [5]
  • Caecum cinctum Olsson & Harbison, 1953
  • Caecum circumvolutum de Folin, 1867
  • Caecum clarkii P. P. Carpenter, 1858
  • Caecum clarum Lamy, 1910 [ex de Folin MS]
  • Caecum clathratum P. P. Carpenter, 1857
  • Caecum clava de Folin, 1867 - club caecum
  • Caecum compactum P. P. Carpenter, 1857
  • Caecum condylum Moore, 1969 - bone caecum
  • Caecum continens Van der Linden & Moolenbeek, 2000
  • Caecum cooperi S. Smith, 1860 - Cooper's Atlantic caecum
  • Caecum corrugatulum Carpenter, 1857
  • Caecum crassum de Folin, 1870
  • Caecum crebricinctum Carpenter, 1864 - many-named caecum
  • Caecum crispum Verrill & Bush, 1900
  • Caecum cubitatum (de Folin, 1868) - smooth caecum
  • Caecum cuspidatum Chaster, 1896
  • Caecum cycloferum de Folin, 1867 - fatlip caecum
  • Caecum dalli Bartsch, 1920
  • Caecum debile Verrill & Bush, 1900
  • Caecum delicatulum Verrill & Bush, 1900
  • Caecum derjugini Golikov, 1967
  • Caecum dextroversum P. P. Carpenter, 1858
  • Caecum digitulum Hedley, 1904 [6]
  • Caecum diminutum C. B. Adams, 1852
  • Caecum donmoorei Mitchell-Tapping, 1979
  • Caecum eburneum C. B. Adams, 1852 [7]
  • Caecum elegantissimum Carpenter, 1859
  • Caecum eliezeri Absalao, 1997
  • Caecum elongatum P. P. Carpenter, 1857
  • Caecum engli Nofroni, Pizzini, Oliverio, 1997
  • Caecum eunoi Nofroni, Pizzini, Oliverio, 1997
  • Caecum exile de Folin, 1875
  • Caecum farcimen P. P. Carpenter, 1857
  • Caecum firmatum C. B. Adams, 1852
  • Caecum floridanum Stimpson, 1851 - Florida caecum
  • Caecum glabella A. Adams, 1868
  • Caecum glabriforme Carpenter, 1857
  • Caecum glabrum (Montagu, 1803)
  • Caecum gofasi Pizzini & Nofroni, 2001
  • Caecum greensboroense Martin, 1904
  • Caecum gulosum Hedley, 1899
  • Caecum gurgulio Carpenter, 1858 - windpipe caecum
  • Caecum hemphilli Bartsch, 1920
  • Caecum heptagonum (Bartsch, 1920)
  • Caecum heterapex T. Habe, 1963 [8]
  • Caecum heterochromum Raines & Pizzini, 2005
  • Caecum imbricatum Carpenter, 1858 - imbricate caecum
  • Caecum imperforatum Kanamacher, 1798 [9] (nomen dubium)
  • Caecum inclinatum de Folin, 1869
  • Caecum infimum de Folin, 1867
  • Caecum inflatum de Folin, 1867
  • Caecum inhacaense Albano & Pizzini 2011[10]
  • Caecum insculptum Carpenter, 1857
  • Caecum insularum Moore, 1969 [11]
  • Caecum irregulare de Folin, 1867
  • Caecum japonicum (Habe, 1978)
  • Caecum johnsoni Winkley, 1908
  • Caecum jonatani Espinosa, Ortea & Fernandez-Garcés, 2007
  • Caecum jucundum de Folin, 1867
  • Caecum laeve C.B. Adams, 1852
  • Caecum laqueatum C. B. Adams, 1852
  • Caecum limnetes Long, 1972
  • Caecum limpidum de Folin, 1874
  • Caecum lineicinctum de Folin, 1880
  • Caecum liratocinctum Carpenter, 1857
  • Caecum lohri Strong & Hertlein, 1939
  • Caecum macrum Van der Linden & Moolenbeek, 2000
  • Caecum magellanicum di Geronimo, Privitera & Valdovinos, 1995
  • Caecum malleatum de Folin, 1867
  • Caecum mammilatum P. P. Carpenter, 1865
  • Caecum maori Pizzini & Raines, 2006
  • Caecum marginatum de Folin, 1869
  • Caecum marmoratum de Folin, 1869
  • Caecum massambabense Absalao, 1994
  • Caecum mauritianum de Folin, 1867
  • Caecum mexicanum Collins, 1937
  • Caecum microcyclus de Folin, 1879
  • Caecum mirificum de Folin, 1867
  • Caecum modestum de Folin, 1867
  • Caecum monstrosum C. B. Adams, 1852
  • Caecum multicostatum de Folin, 1867
  • Caecum neocaledonicum de Folin, 1867
  • Caecum oahuense H. A. Pilsbry, 1921
  • Caecum obtusum Carpenter, 1857
  • Caecum occidentale (Bartsch, 1920) - western caecum
  • Caecum orcutti (Dall, 1885)
  • Caecum paradoxum de Folin, 1867
  • Caecum parvum C. B. Adams, 1852
  • Caecum pascuanum Raines & Pizzini, 2005
  • Caecum patuxentium Martin, 1904
  • Caecum plicatum Carpenter, 1858 - plicate caecum
  • Caecum pollicare Carpenter, 1859
  • Caecum profundicolum Bartsch, 1920 - deepwater caecum
  • Caecum properegulare Mansfield, 1925
  • Caecum pulchellum Stimpson, 1851 - beautiful caecum
  • Caecum puntagordanum Weisbord, 1962
  • Caecum pygmaeum C. B. Adams, 1852
  • Caecum quadratum P. P. Carpenter, 1857
  • Caecum rapanuiense Raines & Pizzini, 2005
  • Caecum regulare Carpenter, 1858
  • Caecum rehderi Raines & Pizzini, 2005
  • Caecum reversum Carpenter, 1857
  • Caecum richthofeni A. M. Strong & J. G. Hertlein, 1939
  • Caecum rijgersmai Jong & Coomans, 1988
  • Caecum rosanum Bartsch, 1920
  • Caecum ruggerii Pizzini, 1997
  • Caecum rugulosum Phil, 1836
  • Caecum ryssotitum de Folin, 1867 - minute caecum
  • Caecum searleswoodii Carpenter, 1859
  • Caecum senegambianum de Folin, 1870
  • Caecum semilaeve P. P. Carpenter, 1857 [12]
  • Caecum sepimentum de Folin, 1868
  • Caecum sinuatum de Folin, 1867
  • Caecum skoglundae Pizzini, Raines & Nofroni, 2007
  • Caecum smriglioi Pizzini, Nofroni & Bonfitto, 2008
  • Caecum striatum de Folin, 1875
  • Caecum strictum de Folin, 1871
  • Caecum strigosum de Folin, 1868
  • Caecum subannulatum de Folin, 1870
  • Caecum subconicum Carpenter, 1857
  • Caecum subflavum de Folin, 1879
  • Caecum subimpressum P. P. Carpenter, 1857
  • Caecum subobsoletum Carpenter, 1857
  • Caecum subornatum de Folin, 1874
  • Caecum subspirale Carpenter, 1857
  • Caecum subvolutum de Folin, 1874
  • Caecum succineum de Folin, 1879
  • Caecum swinneni Nofroni, Pizzini, Oliverio, 1997
  • Caecum taeniatum de Folin, 1869
  • Caecum tenue Verrill & Bush, 1900
  • Caecum tenuicostatum de Folin, 1881
  • Caecum tenuiliratum Carpenter, 1857
  • Caecum teres Carpenter, 1857
  • Caecum textile de Folin, 1867 - textile caecum
  • Caecum tornatum Verrill & Bush, 1900
  • Caecum torquetum de Folin, 1867
  • Caecum tortile Dall, 1892 - twisted caecum
  • Caecum trachea G. Montagu, 1803
  • Caecum troglodyta Moolenbeek, Faber & Iliffe, 1989
  • Caecum uncinatum de Folin, 1867
  • Caecum undatum P. P. Carpenter, 1857
  • Caecum varanoi Pizzini, Nofroni & Bonfitto, 2008
  • Caecum variegatum de Folin, 1867
  • Caecum venosum de Folin, 1867
  • Caecum verai Moreno, Peñas & Rolán, 2003
  • Caecum vertebrale Ch. Hedley, 1899
  • Caecum vicinum de Folin, 1870
  • Caecum vitreum P. P. Carpenter, 1858
  • Caecum wami Raines & Pizzini, 2009
  • Caecum wayae Pizzini & Nofroni, 2001
  • Caecum zaagmani Jong and Coomans, 1988
Subgenera brought into synonymy 
Species brought into synonymy 
Nomina dubia 

References

  1. ^ a b c Gofas, S. (2011). Caecum Fleming, 1813. Accessed through: World Register of Marine Species at http://www.marinespecies.org/aphia.php?p=taxdetails&id=137718 on 2011-02-04
  2. ^ "Caecum". Integrated Taxonomic Information System. http://www.itis.gov/servlet/SingleRpt/SingleRpt?search_topic=TSN&search_value=71379. 
  3. ^ Protection for wild animals on Schedule 5 of the Wildlife and Countryside Act, 1981. website accessed 7 August 2009.
  4. ^ Gastropods.com : Caecum chilense; accessed : 4 February 2011
  5. ^ Gastropods.com : Caecum chipolanum; accessed : 4 February 2011
  6. ^ Gastropods.com : Caecum (Brochina) digitulum; accessed : 4 February 2011
  7. ^ Gastropods.com : Caecum eburneum; accessed : 5 February 2011
  8. ^ Gastropods.com : Caecum heterapex; accessed : 5 February 2011
  9. ^ Gastropods.com : Caecum imperforatum; accessed : 5 February 2011
  10. ^ Albano, P.G. & Pizzini, M. 2011. Notes on Caecidae (Mollusca: Gastropoda) from southern Mozambique, with the description of a new species. African Invertebrates 52 (1): 1-10.[1]
  11. ^ Gastropods.com : Caecum insularum; accessed : 5 February 2011
  12. ^ Gastropods.com : Caecum semilaeve; accessed : 5 February 2011

External links