Turritellidae,
common name
In biology, a common name of a taxon or organism (also known as a vernacular name, English name, colloquial name, country name, popular name, or farmer's name) is a name that is based on the normal language of everyday life; and is often contra ...
the "tower shells" or "tower snails", is a
taxonomic
Taxonomy is the practice and science of categorization or classification.
A taxonomy (or taxonomical classification) is a scheme of classification, especially a hierarchical classification, in which things are organized into groups or types. A ...
family
Family (from la, familia) is a group of people related either by consanguinity (by recognized birth) or affinity (by marriage or other relationship). The purpose of the family is to maintain the well-being of its members and of society. Idea ...
of small to medium-sized
sea snails,
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 molluscs in the
clade Sorbeoconcha
Sorbeoconcha is a taxonomic clade of snails, i.e. gastropods, mainly marine species with gills and opercula, within the clade Caenogastropoda.
The taxon Sorbeoconcha was named by Winston Ponder and David R. Lindberg in 1997.
Taxonomy
1997 taxo ...
.
These snails are
filter feeder
Filter feeders are a sub-group of suspension feeding animals that feed by straining suspended matter and food particles from water, typically by passing the water over a specialized filtering structure. Some animals that use this method of feedin ...
s. This method of feeding is somewhat unusual among gastropod mollusks, but is very common in
bivalves
Bivalvia (), in previous centuries referred to as the Lamellibranchiata and Pelecypoda, is a class of marine and freshwater molluscs that have laterally compressed bodies enclosed by a shell consisting of two hinged parts. As a group, biv ...
.
Shell description
The shells of turritellid species have
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).
Whorls in nature
File:Photograph and axial plane floral d ...
that are more convex and an
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 ...
which is more circular than it is in the
auger shell
Auger may refer to:
Engineering
* Wood auger, a drill for making holes in wood (or in the ground)
** Auger bit, a drill bit
* Auger conveyor, a device for moving material by means of a rotating helical flighting
* Auger (platform), the world ...
s which are similarly high-spired. The
columella
Lucius Junius Moderatus Columella (; Arabic: , 4 – ) was a prominent writer on agriculture in the Roman Empire.
His ' in twelve volumes has been completely preserved and forms an important source on Roman agriculture, together with the ...
is curved and the thin
operculum is horny.
Anatomy of the soft parts
These snails burrow into mud or sand. The foot is relatively small.
Taxonomy
The following five
subfamilies
In biological classification, a subfamily (Latin: ', plural ') is an auxiliary (intermediate) taxonomic rank, next below family but more inclusive than genus. Standard nomenclature rules end subfamily botanical names with "-oideae", and zoologi ...
were recognized in
the taxonomy of Bouchet & Rocroi (2005):
*
Turritellinae
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 somewhat ...
Lovén, 1847 - synonyms: Zariinae Gray, 1850; Zeacolpini Marwick, 1971; Archimediellidae Starobogatov, 1982; Tachyrhynchinae Golikov, 1986
*Orectospirinae Habe, 1955
*Pareorinae
Finlay & Marwick, 1937
*Protominae
Marwick Marwick is a Scottish surname, that may refer to:
*Arthur Marwick (1936–2006), Scottish historian
*Ernest Marwick (1915–1977), Scottish writer
*Hugh Marwick (1885–1965), Scottish scholar
*James Marwick (born 1862), founder of accountancy p ...
, 1957
*Vermiculariinae
Dall
Dall may refer to:
People
* Anders Bendssøn Dall (died 1607), Danish Lutheran bishop
* Bobby Dall (born 1963), American musician
* Caroline Healey Dall (1822–1912), American feminist writer
*Clarrie Dall (1887–1953), Australian footballer
* C ...
, 1913 - synonym: Pseudomesaliidae mahmoud, 1955 (inv.)
Genera
Genera within the family Turritellidae include:
;Turritellinae
* ''
Archimediella'' Sacco, 1895
* ''
Banzarecolpus'' Powell, 1957
* ''
Colpospira
''Colpospira'' is a genus of sea snails, marine gastropod mollusks in the family Turritellidae.
Species
Species within the genus ''Colpospira'' include:
* ''Colpospira accisa'' (Watson, 1881)
* ''Colpospira atkinsoni'' (Tate & May, 1900)
* ' ...
'' Donald, 1900
* ''
Gazameda
''Gazameda'' is a genus of sea snails, marine gastropod mollusks in the family Turritellidae.
Species
Species within the genus ''Gazameda'' include:
* ''Gazameda gunnii'' (Reeve, 1849)
* ''Gazameda iredalei'' Finlay, 1927
* ''Gazameda madaga ...
'' Iredale, 1924
* ''
Glyptozaria'' Iredale, 1924
* ''
Incatella'' DeVries, 2007
* ''
Maoricolpus'' Finlay, 1927
* ''
Spirocolpus
''Spirocolpus'' is a genus of sea snails, marine gastropod mollusks 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 ...
'' Finlay, 1927
* ''
Stiracolpus
''Stiracolpus'' is a genus of sea snails, marine gastropod mollusks in the family Turritellidae.Vos, C.; Bouchet, P. (2014). Stiracolpus Finlay, 1926. Accessed through: World Register of Marine Species at http://www.marinespecies.org/aphia.php?p ...
'' Finlay, 1926
* ''
Tachyrhynchus
''Tachyrhynchus'' is a genus of sea snails, marine gastropod mollusks in the family Turritellidae.
Species
Species within the genus ''Tachyrhynchus'' include:
* ''Tachyrhynchus erosus
''Tachyrhynchus erosus'', common name the eroded turre ...
''
Mörch, 1868
* ''
Turritella
''Turritella'' is a genus of medium-sized sea snails with an Operculum (gastropod), operculum, marine (ocean), marine gastropod mollusc, mollusks in the family Turritellidae.Vos, C.; Gofas, S. (2013). Turritella Lamarck, 1799. Accessed through: W ...
''
Lamarck
Jean-Baptiste Pierre Antoine de Monet, chevalier de Lamarck (1 August 1744 – 18 December 1829), often known simply as Lamarck (; ), was a French naturalist, biologist, academic, and soldier. He was an early proponent of the idea that biolog ...
, 1799 - the
type genus
In biological taxonomy, the type genus is the genus which defines a biological family and the root of the family name.
Zoological nomenclature
According to the International Code of Zoological Nomenclature, "The name-bearing type of a nomina ...
of the family, synonyms: ''Torcula'' Gray, 1847; ''Proto'' Blainville, 1824
** subgenus ''
Haustator
''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.m ...
'' Montfort, 1810
[Harzhauser M. (2007). "Oligocene and Aquitanian gastropod faunas from the Sultanate of Oman and their biogeographic implications for the western Indo-Pacific". '']Palaeontographica Abteilung
External linksSerials list
@ schweizerbart.de
E. Schweizerbart academic journals, *
Lists of academic journals by publisher, E. Schweizerbart ...
'' A 280: 75-121
PDF
* ''
Zeacolpus
''Zeacolpus'' is a genus of medium-sized sea snails, marine gastropod molluscs in the family Turritellidae, known as the turritellas or tower shells.Vos, C. (2010). Zeacolpus Finlay, 1927. In: Bouchet, P.; Gofas, S.; Rosenberg, G. (2010) World M ...
''
Finlay, 1927
* ''
Zaria
Zaria is a metropolitan city in Nigeria which at the present time lies within four (4) local government areas in Kaduna state; it happens to be the capital city to the Zazzau Emirate Council, and one of the original seven Hausa city-states ...
'' Gray, 1842: synonym of ''Turritella'' Lamarck, 1799
;Orectospirinae
* ''
Orectospira
''Orectospira'' is a genus of sea snails, marine (ocean), marine gastropod mollusks in the family (biology), family Turritellidae.
Species
Species within the genus ''Orectospira'' include:
* ''Orectospira babelica'' (Dall, 1907)
* ''Orectospir ...
'' Dall, 1925
;Pareorinae
* † ''
Batillona'' Finlay, 1927
* ''
Pareora
Pareora is a small town in the South Island of New Zealand. It is located close to State Highway 1, which bypasses the western edge of the town, and close to the Pacific Ocean coast, five kilometres north of Saint Andrews and 10 kilometres south ...
'' Marwick, 1931
;Protominae
* ''
Protoma
''Protoma'' is a genus of sea snails, marine gastropod mollusks in the family Turritellidae.
Species
Extant species within the genus ''Protoma'' include:
* '' Protoma knockeri'' Baird, 1870
; Species brought into synonymy:
* ''Protoma capensis' ...
'' Baird, 1870 -( synonym: ''Protomella'' Thiele, 1929)
;Vermiculariinae
* ''
Callostracum'' E. A. Smith, 1909
* ''
Vermicularia
''Vermicularia'' is a genus of sea snails, marine (ocean), marine gastropod molluscs in the family (biology), family Turritellidae.
Species
Species within the genus ''Vermicularia'' include:
* ''Vermicularia bathyalis'' Petuch, 2002
* ''Vermicul ...
''
Lamarck
Jean-Baptiste Pierre Antoine de Monet, chevalier de Lamarck (1 August 1744 – 18 December 1829), often known simply as Lamarck (; ), was a French naturalist, biologist, academic, and soldier. He was an early proponent of the idea that biolog ...
, 1799
family ?
* ''
Armatus
Flavius Armatus (died 477), also known as Harmatius, was an Eastern Roman military commander, ''magister militum'' under Emperors Leo I, Basiliscus and Zeno, and consul. He was instrumental in the rebellion of Basiliscus against Zeno, and in his ...
'' Golikov, 1986
* † ''
Colposigma'' Finlay & Marwick, 1937
* ''
Mesalia
''Mesalia'' is a genus of sea snails, marine (ocean), marine gastropod mollusks in the family (biology), family Turritellidae.
Species
Species within the genus ''Mesalia'' include:
* ''Mesalia brevialis'' (Lamarck, 1822)
* ''Mesalia flammife ...
'' Gray, 1847
* ''
Neohaustator
''Neohaustator'' is a genus of sea snails, marine gastropod mollusks in the family Turritellidae.
Species
Species within the genus ''Neohaustator'' include:
* ''Neohaustator andenensis
''Neohaustator'' is a genus of sea snails, marine ga ...
'' Ida, 1952
* † ''
Palmerella
''Palmerella'' is a genus of plants in the family Campanulaceae. It has only one known species, ''Palmerella debilis'', long known by the synonym ''Lobelia dunnii''. It is native to 8 counties in southern California (San Diego, Orange, Riversid ...
'' Allmon 1996
[Halder, K., & Sinha, P. (2014). "Some Eocene Cerithioids (Gastropoda, Mollusca) from Kutch, Western India, and Their Bearing on Palaeobiogeography of the Indian Subcontinent". ''Paleontology Journal'', 2014, Article ID 673469, .]
* † ''
Tropicolpus'' Marwick, 1931
Palaeontological locations

* The
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 prote ...
of Ermingen ("Erminger Turritellenplatte" 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 (FRG),, is a country in Central Europe. It is the most populous member state of the European Union. Germany lies between the Baltic and North Sea to the north and the Alps to the sou ...
) is situated in the northern part of the North Alpine Foreland Basin (NAFB) and is famous for its abundance of ''
Turritella
''Turritella'' is a genus of medium-sized sea snails with an Operculum (gastropod), operculum, marine (ocean), marine gastropod mollusc, mollusks in the family Turritellidae.Vos, C.; Gofas, S. (2013). Turritella Lamarck, 1799. Accessed through: W ...
turris''
gastropod shells within
sedimentary deposit
Sedimentary rocks are types of rock that are formed by the accumulation or deposition of mineral or organic particles at Earth's surface, followed by cementation. Sedimentation is the collective name for processes that cause these particles ...
s. The fauna of this gastropod-rich sandstone reflects mainly near-coastal and shallow marine conditions. Petrographical and palaeontological data allow a correlation of ''Turritellenplatte'' of Ermingen with
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 war ...
(Lower
Miocene
The Miocene ( ) is the first geological epoch of the Neogene Period and extends from about (Ma). The Miocene was named by Scottish geologist Charles Lyell; the name comes from the Greek words (', "less") and (', "new") and means "less recent" ...
). Sr-isotope composition of
shark
Sharks are a group of elasmobranch fish characterized by a cartilaginous skeleton, five to seven gill slits on the sides of the head, and pectoral fins that are not fused to the head. Modern sharks are classified within the clade Selachi ...
teeth suggests an age of about 18,5 Ma for the ''Turritellenplatte'' of Ermingen.
[Baier J. (2008). "Ein Beitrag zur Erminger Turritellenplatte (Mittlere Schwäbische Alb, SW-Deutschland)". ''Jahresbericht Mitt. oberrhein. geol. Ver.'', N.F. 90: 9-17. Stuttgart, .]
References
Further reading
* Mayr H. (1985). ''A Guide to Fossils.'' Princeton University Press, Princeton, New Jersey, USA. (English translation 1992).
*
Powell A. W. B. (1979). ''New Zealand Mollusca'',
William Collins Publishers Ltd, Auckland, New Zealand, .
* Kiel S. (2003) ''New taxonomic data for the gastropod fauna of the Umzamba Formation (Santonian–Campanian, South Africa)''; Cretaceous Research 24 (2003) 449–475
External links
*
Selachian fauna of Turritellenplatte Abstract of Baier et al. 2004
Abstract of Baier 2008
Miocene Gastropods and Biostratigraphy of the Kern River Area, California; United States Geological Survey Professional Paper 642
{{Taxonbar, from=Q2461107
Gastropod families