''Clanculus'' is a

genus Genus ( plural genera ) is a taxonomic rank used in the biological classification of extant taxon, living and fossil organisms as well as Virus classification#ICTV classification, viruses. In the hierarchy of biological classification, genus com ...

of sea snail,

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 ...

mollusc 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 esti ...

s of the

family Family (from la, familia) is a Social group, group of people related either by consanguinity (by recognized birth) or Affinity (law), affinity (by marriage or other relationship). The purpose of the family is to maintain the well-being of its ...

Trochidae The Trochidae, common name top-snails or top-shells, are a family of various sized sea snails, marine gastropod molluscs in the subclass Vetigastropoda. This family is commonly known as the top-snails because in many species the shell resembles ...

, the top shells.Bouchet, P.; Gofas, S. (2010). Clanculus Montfort, 1810. 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=138587 on 2011-04-07

Distribution

''Clanculus'' is an old genus. Fossils found in Italy date from the

Pliocene The Pliocene ( ; also Pleiocene) is the epoch in the geologic time scale that extends from 5.333 million to 2.58 The distribution of this genus is worldwide, individuals of some species sometimes occur in great numbers, from the

intertidal zone The intertidal zone, also known as the foreshore, is the area above water level at low tide and underwater at high tide (in other words, the area within the tidal range). This area can include several types of habitats with various species o ...

up to depths of 200 m. Many species can be found in Australia, New Zealand, the Indo-Pacific, Philippines, Sri Lanka, Seychelles, Japan, South Africa, Zanzibar, Indian Ocean, the Red Sea, West Africa, Angola, North Africa and Europe.

Shell description

These top shells are wide-conical and low spired. Their spirally ribbed

sculpture Sculpture is the branch of the visual arts that operates in three dimensions. Sculpture is the three-dimensional art work which is physically presented in the dimensions of height, width and depth. It is one of the plastic arts. Durable sc ...

consists of conspicuous regular rows of robust, round beads. The

whorl A whorl ( or ) is an individual circle, oval, volution or equivalent in a whorled pattern, which consists of a spiral or multiple concentric objects (including circles, ovals and arcs). Whorls in nature File:Photograph and axial plane floral ...

s show a profile with a deep suture and the final whorl inflated. The

aperture In optics, an aperture is a hole or an opening through which light travels. More specifically, the aperture and focal length of an optical system determine the cone angle of a bundle of rays that come to a focus in the image plane. An opt ...

of the shell is oval, with a strongly ridged lip. The umbilicus is generally deep. The color of the shell varies between orange, dark red, and chocolate brown.

Species

The type species, ''Clanculus pharaonius'', was described by

Carl Linnaeus Carl Linnaeus (; 23 May 1707 – 10 January 1778), also known after his ennoblement in 1761 as Carl von Linné Blunt (2004), p. 171. (), was a Swedish botanist, zoologist, taxonomist, and physician who formalised binomial nomenclature, the ...

in 1758 as ''Trochus pharaonius''. Subgenus ''Clanculus (Paraclanculus)'' Finlay, 1926 * '' Clanculus (Paraclanculus) peccatus'' (Finlay, 1926) * † ''

Clanculus adesus ''Clanculus'' is a genus of sea snail, marine gastropod molluscs of the family Trochidae, the top shells.Bouchet, P.; Gofas, S. (2010). Clanculus Montfort, 1810. In: Bouchet, P.; Gofas, S.; Rosenberg, G. (2010) World Marine Mollusca database. Acc ...

'' (Marwick, 1931) * ''

Clanculus albanyensis ''Clanculus albanyensis'', common name the yellow top shell, is a species of sea snail, a marine gastropod mollusk in the family Trochidae, the top snails.Rosenberg, G. (2012). ''Clanculus albanyensis'' Jansen, 1995. Accessed through: World R ...

'' Jansen, 1995 * ''

Clanculus albinus ''Clanculus albinus'' is a species of sea snail, a marine gastropod mollusk in the family Trochidae, the top snails.Rosenberg, G. (2012). ''Clanculus albinus'' A. Adams, 1853. Accessed through: World Register of Marine Species at http://www.mari ...

'' A. Adams, 1853 * ''

Clanculus albugo ''Clanculus albugo'' is a species of sea snail, a marine gastropod mollusk in the family Trochidae, the top snails.Rosenberg, G. (2012). ''Clanculus albugo'' (Watson, 1880). Accessed through: World Register of Marine Species at http://www.marine ...

'' (Watson, 1880) * ''

Clanculus aloysii ''Clanculus aloysii'' is a species of sea snail, a marine gastropod mollusk in the family Trochidae, the top snails.

'' Tenison Woods, 1876 * ''

Clanculus ater ''Clanculus ater'', common name the topsnail, is a species of sea snail, a marine gastropod mollusk in the family Trochidae, the top snails. Description The size of the shell varies between 7 mm and 14 mm. The black shell shows a few ...

'' Pilsbry, 1911 * ''

Clanculus atricatena ''Clanculus atricatena'', common name the black-chained topshell, is a species of sea snail, a marine gastropod mollusk in the family Trochidae, the top snails. Description The size of an adult shell varies between 15 mm and 20 mm. Th ...

'' J.R. Tomlin, 1921 * ''

Clanculus atropurpureus ''Clanculus atropurpureus'' is a species of sea snail, a marine gastropod mollusk in the family Trochidae, the top snails.Bouchet, P. (2012). ''Clanculus atropurpureus'' (Gould, 1849). Accessed through: World Register of Marine Species at http: ...

'' A.A. Gould 1849 * ''

Clanculus atypicus ''Clanculus atypicus'' is a species of sea snail, a marine gastropod mollusk in the family Trochidae, the top snails.Rosenberg, G. (2012). ''Clanculus atypicus'' Iredale, 1912. Accessed through: World Register of Marine Species at http://www.mar ...

'' Iredale, 1912 * † ''

Clanculus baccatus ''Clanculus'' is a genus of sea snail, marine gastropod molluscs of the family Trochidae, the top shells.Bouchet, P.; Gofas, S. (2010). Clanculus Montfort, 1810. In: Bouchet, P.; Gofas, S.; Rosenberg, G. (2010) World Marine Mollusca database. Acc ...

'' (Defrance 1824) * ''

Clanculus bathyraphe ''Clanculus bathyraphe'' is a species of sea snail, a marine gastropod mollusk in the family Trochidae, the top snails. Description The height of the shell attains 6.5 mm, its diameter 8.5 mm. The shell has a depressed-conic shape with ...

'' ( E. A. Smith, 1862) * ''

Clanculus berthelotii ''Clanculus berthelotii'' is a species of sea snail, a marine gastropod mollusk in the family (biology), family Trochidae, the top snails. Description The size of the shell varies between 5 mm and 11 mm. The small shell has a globose- ...

'' (d'Orbigny, 1840) * ''

Clanculus bicarinatus ''Clanculus bicarinatus'' is a species of sea snail, a marine gastropod mollusk in the family Trochidae, the top snails.Rosenberg, G. (2012). ''Clanculus bicarinatus'' Angas, 1880. Accessed through: World Register of Marine Species at http://www ...

'' Angas, 1880 * ''

Clanculus boyeti ''Clanculus boyeti'' is a species of sea snail, a marine gastropod mollusk in the family Trochidae, the top snails. Description The size of the shell varies between 6 mm and 12 mm. Distribution This marine species occurs off the Phi ...

'' Poppe, Tagaro & Dekker, 2006 * † '' Clanculus brebioni'' Landau, Van Dingenen & Ceulemans, 2017 * ''

Clanculus bronni ''Clanculus bronni'' is a species of sea snail, a marine (ocean), marine gastropod mollusk in the family (biology), family Trochidae, the top snails.Bouchet, P. (2012). ''Clanculus bronni'' (Dunker, 1860). Accessed through: World Register of Mar ...

'' (R.W. Dunker, 1860) * '' Clanculus brunneus'' A. Adams, 1853 * ''

Clanculus buijsei ''Clanculus buijsei'' is a species of sea snail, a marine gastropod mollusk in the family Trochidae, the top snails. Description The length of an adult shell is 11 mm. Distribution This species occurs in the Pacific Ocean off the Phili ...

'' Poppe, Tagaro & Dekker, 2006 * ''

Clanculus ceylonicus ''Clanculus ceylonicus'' is a species of sea snail, a marine gastropod mollusk in the family Trochidae, the top snails.Rosenberg, G. (2012). ''Clanculus ceylonicus'' G. & H. Nevill, 1869. Accessed through: World Register of Marine Species at ...

'' G.& H. Nevill, 1869 * '' Clanculus clanguloides'' Wood, 1828 * ''

Clanculus clangulus ''Clanculus clangulus'' is a species of sea snail, a marine (ocean), marine gastropod mollusk in the family (biology), family Trochidae, the top snails.Rosenberg, G. (2012). ''Clanculus clangulus'' (W. Wood, 1828). Accessed through: World Regist ...

'' (Wood, 1828) * '' Clanculus cognatus'' (Pilsbry, 1903) * '' Clanculus comarilis'' Ch. Hedley, 1912 * ''

Clanculus consobrinus ''Clanculus consobrinus'' is a species of sea snail, a marine gastropod mollusk in the family Trochidae, the top snails.Rosenberg, G. (2012). ''Clanculus consobrinus'' Tate, 1893. Accessed through: World Register of Marine Species at http://w ...

'' R. Tate, 1893 * ''

Clanculus corallinus ''Clanculus corallinus'' is a species of sea snail, a marine gastropod mollusk in the family Trochidae, the top snails. Description The size of the shell varies between 6 mm and 10 mm. The umbilicate shell has a globose-conic shape. ...

'' (

Gmelin Gmelin may refer to: * Gmelin's test, a chemical test * Gmelin database, a German handbook/encyclopedia of inorganic compounds initiated by Leopold Gmelin People * Carl Christian Gmelin (1762–1837), German botanist, author of ''Flora Badensis ...

, 1791) * ''

Clanculus cristinae ''Clanculus cristinae'' is a species of sea snail, a marine gastropod mollusk in the family Trochidae, the top snails. Description Distribution This species occurs in the Atlantic Ocean off West Africa West Africa or Western Africa is t ...

'' Rubio & Rolan, 2002 * ''

Clanculus cruciatus ''Clanculus cruciatus'' is a species of sea snail, a marine gastropod mollusk in the family Trochidae, the top snails. Description The size of the shell varies between 6 mm and 10 mm. The narrowly umbilicate shell has a globose-coni ...

'' ( Linnaeus,

1758 Events January–March * January 1 – Swedish biologist Carl Linnaeus (Carl von Linné) publishes in Stockholm the first volume (''Animalia'') of the 10th edition of Systema Naturae, 10th edition of ''Systema Naturae'', the sta ...

) * ''