Turbonillinae Explained

Turbonillinae is a subfamily of mostly minute parasitic sea snails, marine gastropod molluscs in the family Pyramidellidae, the pyrams and their allies.[1]

This subfamily has been shown to be monophyletic[2]

Taxonomy

In the taxonomy of Schander, Van Aartsen & Corgan (1999) Turbonillinae is a part of the family Turbonillidae.

According to Schander, Van Aartsen & Corgan (1999) there are 27 genera within the Turbonillinae.[3]

Turbonillinae has been one of eleven recognised subfamilies in the family Pyramidellidae (according to the taxonomy of Ponder & Lindberg, 1997).[4]

In the taxonomy of Bouchet & Rocroi (2005), this subfamily comprises the subfamilies Cingulininae and Eulimellinae, that have been downgraded to the rank of tribe.

In 2010 the subfamily Turbonillinae has been recognized as monophyletic[5]

Genera

Genera within the subfamily Turbonillinae include:[3]

tribe Turbonillini

tribe Cingulinini

See main article: Cingulinini.

tribe Eulimellini

See main article: Eulimellini.

tribe ?

Genera brought into synonymy:

Problematic genera within the family Turbonillinae

The following genera were difficult to place within the subfamily Turbonillinae (= Turbonillini + Cingulinini + Eulimellini):

The genus Ebala was previously placed in the Eulimellinae, but was then placed in the family Ebalidae, that is a synonym of Murchisonellidae.

Distribution

This family is found worldwide.

Shell description

The shell of these snails has a blunt, heterostrophic protoconch, which is pointed sideways. The shell of most species are rather high and slender.

The texture of these shells is usually ribbed sculptured in various forms and often also have more or less prominent spirals. Their color is mostly white, cream or yellowish, sometimes with red or brown lines.

The adult shell, the teleoconch is dextrally coiled, but the larval shells are sinistral. This results in a sinistrally coiled protoconch. The opening of the shell, the aperture is closed by a lid, a so called operculum.

Life habits

The Turbonillinae are ectoparasites, feeding mainly on other molluscs and on annelid worms.

They do not have a radula. Instead their long proboscis is used to pierce the skin of its prey and suck up its fluids and soft tissues. The eyes on the grooved tentacles are situated toward the base of the tentacles. Between the head and the foot, a lobed process called the mentum (= thin projection) is visible.

These molluscs are hermaphrodites.

Notes and References

  1. MolluscaBase (2018). Turbonillinae Bronn, 1849. Accessed through: World Register of Marine Species at: http://marinespecies.org/aphia.php?p=taxdetails&id=225671 on 2018-08-09
  2. http://mollus.oxfordjournals.org/content/77/1/1.abstract Angela Dinapoli, Carmen Zinssmeister and Annette Klussmann-Kolb (2010), New insights into the phylogeny of the Pyramidellidae (Gastropoda), Journal of Molluscan Studies Volume 77, Issue 1 Pp. 1-7
  3. Schander C., van Aartsen J. J. & Corgan J. C. . 1999 . Families and genera of the Pyramidelloidea (Mollusca: Gastropoda) . Bollettino Malacologico . 34 . 9–12 . 145–166 .
  4. . 1997 . Towards a phylogeny of gastropod molluscs: an analysis using morphological characters . Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society . 119 . 2 . 88–265 . 10.1111/j.1096-3642.1997.tb00137.x . free .
  5. Dinapoli. Angela . Carmen Zinnsmeister . Annette Klussmann-Kolb. New insights into the phylogeny of the Pyramidellidae (Gastropoda). Journal of Molluscan Studies. 10 September 2010. 77. 1. 1–7. 10.1093/mollus/eyq027. 2011-10-25.
  6. WoRMS (2010). Kleinella. In: Bouchet, P.; Gofas, S.; Rosenberg, G. (2010) World Marine Mollusca database. Accessed through: World Register of Marine Species at http://www.marinespecies.org/aphia.php?p=taxdetails&id=224515 on 2011-04-02
  7. Gofas, S. (2010). Atomiscala islandica Warén, 1989. In: Bouchet, P.; Gofas, S.; Rosenberg, G. (2010) World Marine Mollusca database. Accessed through: World Register of Marine Species at http://www.marinespecies.org/aphia.php?p=taxdetails&id=140896 on 2011-03-22
  8. WoRMS (2010). Rissopsetia hummelincki Faber, 1984. Accessed through: World Register of Marine Species at http://www.marinespecies.org/aphia.php?p=taxdetails&id=420476 on 2011-03-22
  9. Gofas, S. (2010). Rissopsetia islandica Warén, 1989. In: Bouchet, P.; Gofas, S.; Rosenberg, G. (2010) World Marine Mollusca database. Accessed through: World Register of Marine Species at http://www.marinespecies.org/aphia.php?p=taxdetails&id=141043 on 2011-03-22

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