Turritellidae Explained

Turritellidae, with the common name "tower shells" or "tower snails", is a taxonomic family of small- to medium-sized sea snails, marine gastropod molluscs in the Sorbeoconcha clade.

They are filter feeders; this method of feeding is somewhat unusual among gastropod mollusks, but is very common in bivalves.

Shell description

The shells of turritellid species have whorls that are more convex and their apertures being more circular than it is in the auger shells, which are similarly high-spired. The columella is curved and the thin operculum has many horns.

Anatomy of the soft parts

These snails burrow into mud or sand, with their feet being relatively small.

Taxonomy

The following genera are recognised in the family Turritellidae:^[1]

†Omalaxinae

• †Omalaxis Deshayes, 1832

Orectospirinae

• Orectospira Dall, 1925

Pareorinae

• †Batillona Finlay, 1927
• †Eligmostoma Cossmann, 1888
• Mesalia Gray, 1847
• Pareora Marwick, 1931
• †Sigmesalia H. J. Finlay & Marwick, 1937

Protominae

• †Allmonia Harzhauser & Landau, 2019
• Protoma Baird, 1870

Turritellinae

• Archimediella
• Armatus
• †Asiella
• Banzarecolpus
• Broderiptella
• Callostracum
• †Calvertitella
• Caviturritella
• †Colposigma
• Colpospira
• †Costacolpus
• †Cristispira
• Gazameda
• Haustator
• Helminthia
• Incatella
• †Kapalmerella
• Maoricolpus
• †Mariacolpus
• †Nairiella
• Neohaustator
• †Nodosella
• †Oligodia
• †Peyrotia
• †Ptychidia
• †Roamerella
• †Spirocolpus
• Stiracolpus
• †Tachyrhinchella
• Tachyrhynchus
• Torcula
• †Torquesia
• †Torquesiella
• Tropicolpus
• Turritella - the type genus of the family
• Turritellinella
• Vermicularia
• †Viennella
• Zeacolpus

Other

• †Arcotia Stoliczka, 1867
• †Leptocolpus H. J. Finlay & Marwick, 1937

Palaeontological locations

See main article: Turritellenplatte.

• The Turritellenplatte of Ermingen ("Erminger Turritellenplatte" near Ulm, Germany) is situated in the northern part of the North Alpine Foreland Basin (NAFB) and is of interest for its abundance of Turritella turris gastropod shells within sedimentary deposits. The fauna of the gastropod-rich sandstone reflects mainly towards near-coastal and shallow marine conditions.^[2] Petrographical and palaeontological data allow for a correlation with this area and the Burdigalian age (Lower Miocene epoch). Based on the Sr-isotope composition of shark teeth in the area, the age of the area is about 18,5 Ma.^[3]

Further reading

• Mayr H. (1985). A Guide to Fossils. Princeton University Press, Princeton, New Jersey, USA. (English translation 1992).
• Powell A. W. B. (1979). New Zealand Mollusca, William Collins Publishers Ltd, Auckland, New Zealand, .
• Kiel S. (2003) New taxonomic data for the gastropod fauna of the Umzamba Formation (Santonian–Campanian, South Africa); Cretaceous Research 24 (2003) 449–475

External links

• • Selachian fauna of Turritellenplatte: Abstract of Baier et al. 2004
• Age and Sedimentpetrography of Turritellenplatte: Abstract of Baier 2008
• Turritelidae species database
• Miocene Gastropods and Biostratigraphy of the Kern River Area, California; United States Geological Survey Professional Paper 642

Notes and References

1. Web site: WoRMS - World Register of Marine Species - Turritellidae Lovén, 1847 . 2024-04-23 . www.marinespecies.org . en.
2. Baier J. (2008). "Über die Tertiärbildungen im Ulmer Raum". Documenta Naturae 168: 1-32. München. .
3. Baier J. (2008). "Ein Beitrag zur Erminger Turritellenplatte (Mittlere Schwäbische Alb, SW-Deutschland)". Jahresbericht Mitt. oberrhein. geol. Ver., N.F. 90: 9-17. Stuttgart, .