Pigeon snails

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Columbellidae
Mitrella carinata on the red alga Botryocladia pseudodichotoma

Mitrella carinata on the red alga Botryocladia pseudodichotoma

Systematics
Superordinate : Caenogastropoda
Order : Sorbeoconcha
Subordination : Hypsogastropoda
Partial order : Neogastropoda
Superfamily : Buccinoidea
Family : Columbellidae
Scientific name
Columbellidae
Swainson , 1840

The pigeon snails (Columbellidae) are a large family of exclusively marine snails .

The approximately 400 living species are mostly herbivorous or specialize in eating small, sessile animals . The first representatives of the Columbellidae appear in the fossil record as early as the Eocene ( Palaeogene , "Tertiary")

features

The housings are twisted on the right and have an adult size of about 2 mm to about 5 cm. The housing shapes range from egg-shaped to highly conical. The ornamentation is moderately pronounced; it ranges from almost smooth housings with clear streaking to strong ribs with flat knots. Many cases show eye-catching color samples. The foot is small to only moderately large; an operculum is usually present. The jacket forms a short siphon channel. The moderately long antennae sit on a relatively small head. The mantle cavity is remarkably long.

Way of life

The main focus of the distribution is in the tropical and subtropical waters. However, individual species also penetrated into colder seas (in the northern hemisphere to the Lofoten , in the southern hemisphere to New Zealand). Mostly they are shallow water inhabitants, pronounced deep sea forms are rare (max. Depth: 3360 m). They live on soft soils, sandy soils, rocks and coral debris. Here they graze on the algae growth, whereby small, sessile animals are usually also included. Other species have specialized in grazing hydrozoans. One species has specialized in eating eggs or egg layers from other snails.

Systematics

According to Bouchet & Rocroi (2005), the family is divided into two subfamilies:

literature

  • Philippe Bouchet & Jean-Pierre Rocroi: Part 2. Working classification of the Gastropoda . Malacologia, 47: 239-283, Ann Arbor 2005, ISSN  0076-2997 .
  • Marta J. de Maintenon: Phylogenetic analysis of the Columbellidae (Mollusca: Neogastropoda) and the evolution od herbivory from carnivory. Invertebrate Biology, 118: 258-288, Malden, Massachusetts 1999, ISSN  1077-8306 .
  • Victor Millard: Classification of the Mollusca. A Classification of World Wide Mollusca . Rhine Road, South Africa 1997, ISBN 0-620-21261-6 .
  • Frank Riedel: Origin and evolution of the "higher" Caenogastropoda . Berliner Geoscientific Abhandlungen, Series E, Volume 32, Berlin 2000, 240 pages, ISBN 3-89582-077-6 .

Web links

Commons : Columbellidae  - Collection of images, videos, and audio files