''Ericusa'' is a small taxonomic

genus Genus (; : genera ) is a taxonomic rank above species and below family (taxonomy), family as used in the biological classification of extant taxon, living and fossil organisms as well as Virus classification#ICTV classification, viruses. In bino ...

of medium-sized

predatory Predation is a biological interaction in which one organism, the predator, kills and eats another organism, its prey. It is one of a family of common feeding behaviours that includes parasitism and micropredation (which usually do not kill ...

marine

gastropod Gastropods (), commonly known as slugs and snails, belong to a large Taxonomy (biology), taxonomic class of invertebrates within the phylum Mollusca called Gastropoda (). This class comprises snails and slugs from saltwater, freshwater, and fro ...

mollusc Mollusca is a phylum of protostome, protostomic invertebrate animals, whose members are known as molluscs or mollusks (). Around 76,000 extant taxon, extant species of molluscs are recognized, making it the second-largest animal phylum ...

s in the family

Volutidae Volutidae, common name volutes, are a taxonomic family of predatory sea snails that range in size from 9 mm to over 500 mm. They are marine gastropod mollusks. Most of the species have no operculum. Distribution This family of sea s ...

, the volutes.Bail, P. (2010). Ericusa. 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=382335 on 2010-12-15

Distribution

''Ericusa'' are endemic to Australia. They are found in temperate waters from southern Queensland to southern Western Australia.

Shell description

The shells of ''Ericusa'' have a small rounded

protoconch A protoconch (meaning first or earliest or original shell) is an embryonic or larval shell which occurs in some classes of molluscs, e.g., the initial chamber of an ammonite or the larval shell of a gastropod. In older texts it is also called " ...

, are biconical with a rounded shoulder and have an elongate

aperture In optics, the aperture of an optical system (including a system consisting of a single lens) is the hole or opening that primarily limits light propagated through the system. More specifically, the entrance pupil as the front side image o ...

with 4 distinct

columella Lucius Junius Moderatus Columella (, Arabic: ) was a prominent Roman writer on agriculture in the Roman Empire. His in twelve volumes has been completely preserved and forms an important source on Roman agriculture and ancient Roman cuisin ...

r plicae and a thickened outer lip. The

whorls 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). In nature File:Photograph and axial plane floral diagram ...

are regular, smooth and convex. The

is globose and deviates 45° from the axis of the shell. The colour pattern of ''Ericusa'' is pink or yellow brown overlaid with a varied brown pattern. The largest species with shells exceeding 200 mm in length are ''Ericusa fulgetrum'' and ''Ericusa sowerbyi''.

Biology

''Ericusa'' are nocturnal and prey on invertebrates. They have a large foot and siphon and they lay relatively large solitary eggs."Shells Alive" Coleman N., Rigby, 1981.

Taxonomy

Several infraspecific taxa of ''Ericusa fulgetra'' have been named, on the basis of colour patterns of the shell.

Species

* † '' Ericusa allporti'' (R. M. Johnston, 1880) * † '' Ericusa ancilloides'' (Tate, 1889) * † '' Ericusa atkinsoni'' (Pritchard, 1896) * † '' Ericusa fulgetroides'' (Pritchard, 1898) * '' Ericusa fulgetrum'' (G.B. Sowerby I, 1825) * '' Ericusa hamiltonensis'' (Pritchard, 1898) * '' Ericusa ianmattiskei'' Hallan, 2023 * † '' Ericusa macroptera'' (McCoy, 1866) * '' Ericusa naniforma'' Bail & Limpus, 2013 * † '' Ericusa ngayawang'' A. M. Yates, 2022 * '' Ericusa papillosa'' (Swainson, 1822) * '' Ericusa sericata'' Thornley, 1951 * '' Ericusa sowerbyi'' (Kiener, 1839) * † '' Ericusa subtilis'' (Ludbrook, 1978)

References

* Bail, P & Poppe, G. T. 2001. ''A conchological iconography: a taxonomic introduction of the recent Volutidae''. Hackenheim-Conchbook, 30 pp, 5 pl.

External links

Gastropods.com : Ericusa; accessed : 15 December 2010] {{Taxonbar, from=Q5388240 Volutidae