''Turritella'' is a

genus Genus ( plural genera ) is a taxonomic rank used in the biological classification of living and fossil organisms as well as viruses. In the hierarchy of biological classification, genus comes above species and below family. In binomial nom ...

of medium-sized

sea snail Sea snail is a common name for slow-moving marine gastropod molluscs, usually with visible external shells, such as whelk or abalone. They share the taxonomic class Gastropoda with slugs, which are distinguished from snails primarily by the a ...

s with an operculum,

marine Marine is an adjective meaning of or pertaining to the sea or ocean. Marine or marines may refer to: Ocean * Maritime (disambiguation) * Marine art * Marine biology * Marine debris * Marine habitats * Marine life * Marine pollution Military ...

gastropod The gastropods (), commonly known as snails and slugs, belong to a large taxonomic class of invertebrates within the phylum Mollusca called Gastropoda (). This class comprises snails and slugs from saltwater, from freshwater, and from land. T ...

mollusk Mollusca is the second-largest phylum of invertebrate animals after the Arthropoda, the members of which are known as molluscs or mollusks (). Around 85,000 extant species of molluscs are recognized. The number of fossil species is e ...

s in the family

Turritellidae Turritellidae, common name the "tower shells" or "tower snails", is a taxonomic family of small to medium-sized sea snails, marine gastropod molluscs in the clade Sorbeoconcha. These snails are filter feeders. This method of feeding is somewha ...

.Vos, C.; Gofas, S. (2013). Turritella Lamarck, 1799. Accessed through: World Register of Marine Species at http://www.marinespecies.org/aphia.php?p=taxdetails&id=138615 on 2013-06-02 They have tightly coiled shells, whose overall shape is basically that of an elongated cone. The name ''Turritella'' comes from the Latin word ''turritus'' meaning "turreted" or "towered" and the diminutive suffix ''-ella''.

Species

Valid

Valid species within the genus ''Turritella'' are listed below. Fossil species are marked with a dagger "†". * ''

Turritella acropora ''Turritella acropora'' is a species of sea snail, a marine gastropod mollusk in the family Turritellidae Turritellidae, common name the "tower shells" or "tower snails", is a taxonomic family of small to medium-sized sea snails, marine gas ...

'' (Dall, 1889) * '' Turritella albolapis'' Finlay, 1924 * '' Turritella algida'' Melvill & Standen, 1912 * '' Turritella anactor'' Berry, 1957 * ''

Turritella annulata ''Turritella annulata'' is a species of sea snail, a marine gastropod mollusk in the family Turritellidae Turritellidae, common name the "tower shells" or "tower snails", is a taxonomic family of small to medium-sized sea snails, marine gas ...

'' Kiener, 1843 * † ''

Turritella apicalis ''Turritella apicalis'' is an extinct species of fossil sea snail, a marine gastropod mollusc in the family Turritellidae Turritellidae, common name the "tower shells" or "tower snails", is a taxonomic family of small to medium-sized sea s ...

'' - Pleistocene of Florida * ''

Turritella attenuata ''Turritella attenuata'' is a species of sea snail, a marine gastropod mollusk in the family Turritellidae Turritellidae, common name the "tower shells" or "tower snails", is a taxonomic family of small to medium-sized sea snails, marine ga ...

'' Reeve, 1849 * '' Turritella aurocincta'' Martens, 1875 * '' Turritella bacillum'' Kiener, 1843 * † ''

Turritella badensis ''Turritella'' is a genus of medium-sized sea snails with an operculum, marine gastropod mollusks in the family Turritellidae.Vos, C.; Gofas, S. (2013). Turritella Lamarck, 1799. Accessed through: World Register of Marine Species at http://www. ...

'' - Cenozoic of Denmark, Germany and Poland * ''

Turritella banksii ''Turritella banksii'' is a species of sea snail, a marine gastropod mollusk in the family Turritellidae Turritellidae, common name the "tower shells" or "tower snails", is a taxonomic family of small to medium-sized sea snails, marine gast ...

'' Gray in Reeve, 1849 * ''

Turritella bayeri ''Turritella bayeri'' is a species of sea snail, a marine gastropod mollusk in the family Turritellidae. Distribution Description The maximum recorded shell Shell may refer to: Architecture and design * Shell (structure), a thin stru ...

'' Petuch, 2001 * ''

Turritella bicingulata ''Turritella bicingulata'' is a species of sea snail, a marine gastropod mollusk in the family Turritellidae. Description Distribution This species occurs in the Atlantic Ocean off Cape Verde, Gabon and Angola , national_anthem ...

'' Lamarck, 1822 * ''

Turritella broderipiana ''Turritella broderipiana'' is a species of sea snail, a marine gastropod mollusk in the family Turritellidae Turritellidae, common name the "tower shells" or "tower snails", is a taxonomic family of small to medium-sized sea snails, ma ...

'' d'Orbigny, 1840 * ''

Turritella caelata ''Turritella caelata'' is a species of sea snail, a marine gastropod mollusk in the family Turritellidae Turritellidae, common name the "tower shells" or "tower snails", is a taxonomic family of small to medium-sized sea snails, marine gastr ...

'' Mörch in Dunker, 1858 * ''

Turritella capensis ''Turritella capensis'', common name the waxy screw shell, is a species of sea snail, a marine gastropod mollusk in the family Turritellidae. Description Distribution This marine species occurs off the coast of South Africa South Afr ...

'' (Krauss, 1848) * ''

Turritella carinifera ''Turritella carinifera'' is a species of sea snail, a marine gastropod mollusk in the family Turritellidae Turritellidae, common name the "tower shells" or "tower snails", is a taxonomic family of small to medium-sized sea snails, marine g ...

'' Lamarck, 1822 * ''

Turritella chordata ''Turritella chordata'' is a species of sea snail, a marine gastropod mollusk in the family Turritellidae Turritellidae, common name the "tower shells" or "tower snails", is a taxonomic family of small to medium-sized sea snails, marine ga ...

'' Suter, 1908 * '' Turritella chrysotoxa'' Tomlin, 1825 *'' Turritella cingulata'' Sowerby, 1825 * ''

Turritella cingulifera ''Turritella cingulifera'' is a species of sea snail, a marine gastropod mollusk in the family Turritellidae. It is placed either in subgenus ''Kurosioia'' or ''Haustator''. Distribution This marine species is found in the sublittoral zone of ...

'' G.B. Sowerby I, 1825 * '' Turritella clarionensis'' Hertlein & Strong, 1951 * '' Turritella cochlea'' Reeve, 1849 * '' Turritella columnaris'' Kiener, 1843 * '' Turritella communis'' Risso, 1826 * '' Turritella concava'' Martens, 1880 * '' Turritella conofasciata'' (Sacco 1895) * '' Turritella conspersa'' Adams & Reeve, 1850 * '' Turritella cooperi'' Carpenter, 1864 * '' Turritella cornea'' Lamarck, 1822 * '' Turritella couteaudi'' Rochebrune & Mabille, 1889 * † '' Turritella crenulata'' Nyst, 1844 * '' Turritella crocea'' Kiener, 1843 * † '' Turritella cruzadoi'' DeVries, 2007 * '' Turritella decipiens'' Monterosato, 1878 * '' Turritella declivis'' Adams & Reeve, 1850 * '' Turritella dirkhartogensis'' (Garrard, 1972) * '' Turritella duplicata'' (Linnaeus, 1758) * '' Turritella dura'' Mörch, 1860 * '' Turritella elachista'' Rochebrune & Mabille, 1889 * ''

Turritella exoleta ''Turritella exoleta'' is a species of sea snail, a marine gastropod mollusk in the family Family (from la, familia) is a group of people related either by consanguinity (by recognized birth) or affinity (by marriage or other relationship) ...

'' (Linnaeus, 1758) * '' Turritella fastigiata'' Adams & Reeve, 1850 * '' Turritella ferruginea'' Reeve, 1849 * '' Turritella fultoni'' Melvill & Standen, 1901 * '' Turritella fuscomaculata'' Bozzetti, 2009 * '' Turritella gemmata'' Reeve, 1849 * '' Turritella gonostoma'' Valenciennes, 1832 * '' Turritella hastula'' Reeve, 1849 * '' Turritella hookeri'' Reeve, 1849 * '' Turritella incisa'' Reeve, 1849 * † '' Turritella incrassata'' - Pliocene of Belgium * '' Turritella knysnaensis'' Krauss, 1848 * '' Turritella leeuwinensis'' (Garrard, 1972) * '' Turritella lentiginosa'' Reeve, 1849 * '' Turritella leucostoma'' Valenciennes, 1832 * '' Turritella ligar'' Deshayes, 1843 * '' Turritella lindae'' (Petuch, 1987) * '' Turritella lyonsi'' Garcia, 2006 * '' Turritella maculata'' Reeve, 1849 * '' Turritella marianopsis'' Petuch, 1990 * '' Turritella minuta'' Turton, 1932 * '' Turritella monilifera'' Adams & Reeve, 1850 * '' Turritella monterosatoi'' Kobelt, 1887 * '' Turritella nebulosa'' Kiener, 1843 * '' Turritella nodulosa'' King & Broderip, 1832 * '' Turritella praetermissa'' (Dautzenberg, 1912) * '' Turritella punctata'' Kiener, 1843 * '' Turritella radula'' Kiener, 1843 * '' Turritella reevei'' Dautzenberg & Fischer, 1906 * † '' Turritella riverae'' DeVries, 2007 * '' Turritella rubescens'' Reeve, 1849 * † '' Turritella salasi'' DeVries, 2007 * '' Turritella sanguinea'' Reeve, 1849 * '' Turritella sedanensis'' (Martin 1905) * † '' Turritella steiningeri'' Harzhauser, 2007Harzhauser M. (2007). "Oligocene and Aquitanian gastropod faunas from the Sultanate of Oman and their biogeographic implications for the western Indo-Pacific". '' Palaeontographica Abteilung'' A 280: 75-121
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* '' Turritella terebra'' (Linnaeus, 1758) * † '' Turritella terebralis'' Lamarck, 1799 * '' Turritella torulosa'' Kiener, 1843 * † '' Turritella trempina'' - Pliocene * '' Turritella triplicata'' Philippi, 1836 * '' Turritella turbona'' Monterosato, 1877 * † '' Turritella turris'' - Early Miocene of Central Europe * '' Turritella ungulina'' (Linnaeus, 1758) * ''

Turritella variegata ''Turritella variegata'' is a species of sea snail, a marine gastropod mollusk in the family Turritellidae. Distribution Description The maximum recorded shell Shell may refer to: Architecture and design * Shell (structure), a thin stru ...

'' (Linnaeus, 1758) * '' Turritella vermicularis'' (Brocchi, 1814) * † '' Turritella vertebroides'' Morton, 1834 - Late Cretaceous of South of North America * '' Turritella wareni'' Ryall & Vos, 2010 * '' Turritella willetti'' McLean, 1970 * '' Turritella yucatecana'' (Dall, 1881) Seashell1

Invalid

These are species assigned to ''Turritella'' that were brought into synonymy with other

taxa In biology, a taxon (back-formation from ''taxonomy''; plural taxa) is a group of one or more populations of an organism or organisms seen by taxonomists to form a unit. Although neither is required, a taxon is usually known by a particular nam ...

: * ''Turritella (Torcula)'' Gray, 1847: synonym of ''Turritella'' Lamarck, 1799 * ''Turritella (Torcula) cochlea'' Reeve, 1849: synonym of '' Turritella cochlea'' Reeve, 1849 * ''Turritella acicula'' Stimpson, 1851: synonym of '' Turritellopsis stimpsoni'' (Dall, 1919) * ''Turritella alternata'' Say, 1822: synonym of '' Bittiolum alternatum'' (Say, 1822) * † ''Turritella andenensis'' Otuka, 1934: synonym of '' Neohaustator andenensis'' (Otuka, 1934) * ''Turritella aquila'' Reeve, 1849: synonym of ''Turritella conspersa'' Adams & Reeve, 1850 * ''Turritella areolata'' Stimpson, 1851: synonym of '' Tachyrhynchus reticulatus'' (Mighels & Adams, 1842) * ''Turritella auricincta'' Martens, 1875: synonym of '' Turritella aurocincta'' Martens, 1875 * ''Turritella bicolor'' Adams & Reeve, 1850: synonym of ''Turritella cingulifera'' G.B. Sowerby I, 1825 * ''Turritella brevialis'' Lamarck, 1822: synonym of '' Mesalia brevialis'' (Lamarck, 1822) * ''Turritella canaliculata'' Adams & Reeve, 1850: synonym of ''

'' G.B. Sowerby I, 1825 * ''Turritella candida'' Reeve, 1849: synonym of ''Turritella gemmata'' Reeve, 1849 * ''Turritella cingulata'' Sowerby, 1825 is a synonym of '' Incatella cingulata'' (Sowerby, 1825)DeVries T. J. (2007). "Cenozoic Turritellidae (Gastropoda) from southern Peru". '' Journal of Paleontology'' 81(2): 331-351. . * ''Turritella concava'' Say, 1826: synonym of'' Terebra concava'' (Say, 1826) * ''Turritella congelata'' Adams & Reeve, 1850: synonym of '' Colpospira congelata'' (Adams & Reeve, 1850) * ''Turritella costulata'' Mighels & Adams, 1842: synonym of '' Acirsa borealis'' (Lyell, 1841) * ''Turritella costulata'' Møller, 1842: synonym of '' Eumetula arctica'' (Mørch, 1857) * ''Turritella crenulata'' (Donald, 1900): synonym of '' Colpospira joannae'' (Hedley, 1923) * ''Turritella erosa'' Couthouy, 1838: synonym of '' Tachyrhynchus erosus'' (Couthouy, 1838) * ''Turritella eschrichti'' Hölböll in Möller, 1842: synonym of '' Acirsa borealis'' (Lyell, 1841) * ''Turritella excavata'' G. B. Sowerby III, 1870: synonym of '' Turritella declivis'' Adams & Reeve in Reeve, 1849 * ''Turritella flammulata'' Kiener, 1843-44: synonym of''Turritella ligar'' Deshayes, 1843 * ''Turritella fortilirata'' G. B. Sowerby III, 1914: synonym of '' Neohaustator fortilirata'' (G. B. Sowerby III, 1914) * ''Turritella gracillima'' Gould, 1860: synonym of ''

'' G. B. Sowerby I, 1825 * ''Turritella granosa'' Quoy & Gaimard, 1834: synonym of '' Opalia granosa'' (Quoy & Gaimard, 1834) * ''Turritella imbricata'' (Linnaeus, 1758): synonym of ''Turritella variegata'' (Linnaeus, 1758) * ''Turritella knysnaensis'' Krauss, 1848: synonym of ''Turritella capensis'' (Krauss, 1848) * ''Turritella lactea'' Möller, 1842: synonym of '' Mesalia lactea'' (Möller, 1842) * † ''Turritella maiquetiana'' Weisbord, 1962: synonym of ''Turritella paraguanensis'' Hodson, 1926 * ''Turritella mediolevis'' Verco, 1910: synonym of '' Colpospira mediolevis'' (Verco, 1910) * ''Turritella meta'' Reeve, 1849: synonym of '' Turritella gemmata'' * ''Turritella monterosatoi'' Kobelt, 1887: synonym of ''Turritella turbona'' Monterosato, 1877 * ''Turritella nzimaorum'' Ryall & Vos, 2010: synonym of ''Turritella caelata'' Mörch in Dunker, 1858 * ''Turritella opalina'' Adams & Reeve, 1850: synonym of ''Mesalia opalina'' (Adams & Reeve, 1850) * ''Turritella opulenta'' Hedley, 1907: synonym of '' Glyptozaria opulenta'' (Hedley, 1907) * ''Turritella paraguanensis'' Hodson, 1926: synonym of ''Turritella variegata'' (Linnaeus, 1758) * ''Turritella philippi'' Aradas, 1842: synonym of '' Acirsa subdecussata'' (Cantraine, 1835) * ''Turritella polaris'' Möller, 1842: synonym of '' Tachyrhynchus erosus'' (Couthouy, 1838) * ''Turritella spina'' Crosse & Fischer, 1864: synonym of '' Cingulina spina'' (Crosse & Fischer, 1864) * ''Turritella reticulata'' Mighels & Adams, 1842: synonym of '' Tachyrhynchus reticulatus'' (Mighels & Adams, 1842) * ''Turritella spirata'' Sowerby I, 1825: synonym of '' Eglisia spirata'' (Sowerby I, 1825) * ''Turritella symmetrica'' Hutton, 1873: synonym of '' Stiracolpus symmetricus'' (Hutton, 1873) * ''Turritella trisulcata'' Lamarck, 1822: synonym of ''Turritella vermicularis'' * ''Turritella yucatecanum'' Dall, 1881: synonym of ''Turritella yucatecana'' (Dall, 1881)

Fossil species

The genus is known from the

Cretaceous The Cretaceous ( ) is a geological period that lasted from about 145 to 66 million years ago (Mya). It is the third and final period of the Mesozoic Era, as well as the longest. At around 79 million years, it is the longest geological period of ...

to the

Recent The Holocene ( ) is the current geological epoch. It began approximately 11,650 cal years Before Present (), after the Last Glacial Period, which concluded with the Holocene glacial retreat. The Holocene and the preceding Pleistocene togethe ...

periods. The shells are quite frequently found as

fossil A fossil (from Classical Latin , ) is any preserved remains, impression, or trace of any once-living thing from a past geological age. Examples include bones, shells, exoskeletons, stone imprints of animals or microbes, objects preserved ...

s, and the

carbonate A carbonate is a salt of carbonic acid (H2CO3), characterized by the presence of the carbonate ion, a polyatomic ion with the formula . The word ''carbonate'' may also refer to a carbonate ester, an organic compound containing the carbonate ...

stone made from large quantities of ''Turritella'' shells is often referred to as "Turritella limestone", or, if

silicified In geology, petrifaction or petrification () is the process by which organic material becomes a fossil through the replacement of the original material and the filling of the original pore spaces with minerals. Petrified wood typifies this p ...

, "Turritella agate". Both varieties of this stone are commonly sold as polished

cabochon A cabochon (; ) is a gemstone that has been shaped and polished, as opposed to faceted. The resulting form is usually a convex (rounded) obverse with a flat reverse. Cabochon was the default method of preparing gemstones before gemstone cutt ...

"Turritella agate"

One variety of "Turritella agate", that from the Green River Formation in Wyoming, is a fossiliferous rock which does indeed contain numerous high-spired snail shells. However, contrary to the common name, these snails are not in the marine genus ''Turritella'', instead they are freshwater snails in the species '' Elimia tenera'', family Pleuroceridae from the

Eocene The Eocene ( ) Epoch is a geological epoch that lasted from about 56 to 33.9 million years ago (mya). It is the second epoch of the Paleogene Period in the modern Cenozoic Era. The name ''Eocene'' comes from the Ancient Greek (''ēṓs'', ...

epoch. The rock in which these snail shells are so abundant varies from a soft

sandstone Sandstone is a clastic sedimentary rock composed mainly of sand-sized (0.0625 to 2 mm) silicate grains. Sandstones comprise about 20–25% of all sedimentary rocks. Most sandstone is composed of quartz or feldspar (both silicat ...

to a dense

chalcedony Chalcedony ( , or ) is a cryptocrystalline form of silica, composed of very fine intergrowths of quartz and moganite. These are both silica minerals, but they differ in that quartz has a trigonal crystal structure, while moganite is monocli ...

. This dense silicified rock is popular with gem and mineral hobbyists, as well as with

New Age New Age is a range of spiritual or religious practices and beliefs which rapidly grew in Western society during the early 1970s. Its highly eclectic and unsystematic structure makes a precise definition difficult. Although many scholars consi ...

practitioners.

Turritellenplatte

The ''Erminger

Turritellenplatte The Turritellenplatte of Ermingen ("Erminger Turritellenplatte" near Ulm, Germany) is a type of very rich, fossil-bearing rock which is of particular interest to geologists and paleontologists. It occurs in a very restricted outcrop and is protecte ...

'' ("''Turritella'' plate of Ermingen") near

Ulm Ulm () is a city in the German state of Baden-Württemberg, situated on the river Danube on the border with Bavaria. The city, which has an estimated population of more than 126,000 (2018), forms an urban district of its own (german: link=no, ...

Germany Germany,, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It is the second most populous country in Europe after Russia, and the most populous member state of the European Union. Germany is situated betwee ...

is a rocky

outcrop An outcrop or rocky outcrop is a visible exposure of bedrock or ancient superficial deposits on the surface of the Earth. Features Outcrops do not cover the majority of the Earth's land surface because in most places the bedrock or superficia ...

situated in the northern part of the North Alpine Foreland Basin. It is famous for its superabundance of '' Turritella turris'' shells within its sediments Baier J. (2008). "Über die Tertiärbildungen im Ulmer Raum" On Tertiary structures in the Ulm region" ''Documenta Naturae'' 168: 1-32. and dates from the

Burdigalian The Burdigalian is, in the geologic timescale, an age or stage in the early Miocene. It spans the time between 20.43 ± 0.05 Ma and 15.97 ± 0.05 Ma (million years ago). Preceded by the Aquitanian, the Burdigalian was the first and longest w ...

References

Caenogastropoda
i
Man and Mollusc

External links

"1. Turritella bicolor; 2. Turritella congelata; 3. Turritella conspersa; 4. Turritella miltilirata; 5. Turritella vittulata; 6. Turritella monilifera; 7. Turritella opalina; 8. Eglisia tricarinata; 9. Turritella fastigiata; 10. Turritela declivis; 11. Turritella canaliculata"
New York Public Library no-charge digital image available; image dated 1850. {{Taxonbar, from=Q76879 Prehistoric life of Europe Turritellidae Cretaceous molluscs Cenozoic molluscs Extant Late Jurassic first appearances