Lunatia heros

Northern moon snail
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Mollusca
Class: Gastropoda
(unranked): clade Caenogastropoda
clade Hypsogastropoda
clade Littorinimorpha
Superfamily: Naticoidea
Family: Naticidae
Genus: Polinices
Species: P. heros
Binomial name
Polinices heros
(Say, 1822)
Synonyms[1]
  • Euspira heros (Say, 1822)
  • Lunatia heros[2]
  • Natica heros Say, 1822 (basionym) [3]
  • Polinices heros (Say, 1822)

The northern moon snail, scientific name Polinices heros (previously known as: scientific name Lunatia heros), is a species of large sea snail, a predatory marine gastropod mollusk in the family Naticidae, the moon snails (U.S.) or necklace snails (U.K.).[1]

This large snail is rather uncommon intertidally, but is much more common subtidally. This species, like all moon snails, feeds voraciously on clams and other snails.

Ecology

Distribution

The distribution of Lunatia heros falls within the range: 51.5°N to 33°N; 76°W to 65°W.[1] This western Atlantic species occurs in

There is a sibling species on the Pacific coast of North America: Lunatia lewisii (Gould, 1847).

Habitat

Lunatia heros lives on mud and sand substrates in bathyal, infralittoral and circalittoral parts and estuary.[1]

The minimum recorded depth is 0 m.[4] and maximum recorded depth is 435 m.[4]

Shell description

The shell of this species is globular and can, under the right conditions, grow as large as 125 mm (7 inches) in maximum dimension.

The operculum is large, ear-shaped in outline, and is corneus and somewhat transparent. On beaches where the shell of this species washed up commonly, the operculum will usually also be found washed up in the drift line.

Moon snail predation

Evidence of northern moon snail predation is usually much easier to find than the snails themselves:

The powerful foot enables this gastropod to plow under the sand in search of other mollusks. Upon finding one, it "drills" a hole into the shell with its radula, releases digestive enzymes, and sucks out the somewhat predigested contents.[5]

When empty shells of clams and snails, including other moon snails, are seen to have a neat "countersunk" hole drilled in them, this is evidence of predation by a moon snail.

External links

Notes

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 Bouchet, P. (2012). Lunatia heros (Say, 1822). Accessed through: World Register of Marine Species at http://www.marinespecies.org/aphia.php?p=taxdetails&id=574706 on 2012-08-16
  2. ↑ "ITIS classification". ITIS.gov.
  3. ↑ Gould A. A. (1841). Report on the Invertebrata of Massachusetts, comprising the Mollusca, Crustacea, Annelida, and Radiata. Published agreeably to an order of the legislature, by the commissioners on the Zoological and Botanical Survey of the state. pp. i-xiii [= 1-13], 1-373, pl. [1-15]. Cambridge. (Forsom, Wells & Thurston). 231-232. figure 163.
  4. ↑ 4.0 4.1 Welch J. J. (2010). "The "Island Rule" and Deep-Sea Gastropods: Re-Examining the Evidence". PLoS ONE 5(1): e8776. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0008776.
  5. ↑ Andrew J. Martinez (2003). Marine Life of the North Atlantic: Canada to New England. Aqua Quest Publications. Retrieved 2007-02-17.