Harp snails

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Harp snails
Great harp snail (Harpa major)

Great harp snail ( Harpa major )

Systematics
Superordinate : Caenogastropoda
Order : Sorbeoconcha
Subordination : Hypsogastropoda
Partial order : Neogastropoda
Superfamily : Muricoidea
Family : Harp snails
Scientific name
Harpidae
Bronn , 1849

The harp snails (Harpidae) are a small, comparatively poor family of snails that occurs in the tropical and subtropical seas.

features

The shells of the harp snails usually show a low spiral; the mouth is correspondingly long and can also be quite wide in some species. Often the housing with spiral patterns and z. Partly decorated with knots and thorns. They usually also have color samples. The adult size of the housing ranges from about 3 to 11 cm. The foot of some species is extremely large with a large propodium . A small operculum may be present in some species. The radula is relatively small and has one or three elements per transverse row. The unpaired gill is moderately large. The very large osphradium is striking . The sexes are separated, occasionally sexual dimorphism occurs, which is also documented in the housing. Only a few types of data are available on early ontogenetic development. A Harpa species usually attaches the egg capsules to a hard substrate; they contain around 3,000 to 4,000 eggs. This species develops via plankton-eating Veliger larvae. A Morum species provides the eggs with large amounts of egg white; the egg capsules only contain about 12 eggs. The eggs develop into Veliger larvae in the egg capsule, go through metamorphosis and the juvenile snails hatch as finished animals.

Way of life

The harp snails are widespread, but only occur in the warmer seas. In the southern hemisphere, the occurrence extends to South Australia (about 40th parallel). In the northern hemisphere, the distribution extends to around 30 degrees of latitude. Harp snails are mostly inhabitants of the shallow water up to a depth of about 200 m. Only a few species are still found in the Upper Bathyal . Most species are buried in the soft sediment during the dormant phase. To search for prey, however, they go on a hard substrate. The harp snails are predatory and occasionally scavengers . As far as is known, the diet consists of decapods : small crabs and prawns . The prey is overwhelmed with the help of the large foot, covered with slime and adhering sand and killed and pre-digested by saliva. If harp snails are attacked, they shed part of the foot, which continues to move and distracts the predator ( autotomy ).

Housing of Harpa articularis

Systematics

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

literature

  • Philippe Bouchet & Jean-Pierre Rocroi: Part 2. Working classification of the Gastropoda . Malacologia, 47: 239-283, Ann Arbor 2005 ISSN  0076-2997
  • 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 : Harpidae  - collection of images, videos and audio files