Turritriton 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 n ...

of 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

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 ...

Cymatiidae Cymatiidae is a family of large sea snails in the superfamily Tonnoidea and the order Littorinimorpha. Members of this family are predators. Genera The family Cymatiidae contains the following genera: * '' Argobuccinum'' Herrmannsen, 1846 * ' ...

. This is often still regarded merely as a

subgenus In biology, a subgenus (plural: subgenera) is a taxonomic rank directly below genus. In the International Code of Zoological Nomenclature, a subgeneric name can be used independently or included in a species name, in parentheses, placed betw ...

of the genus ''

Cymatium Cymatium, the uppermost molding at the top of the cornice in the classical order, is made of the s-shaped cyma molding (either ''cyma recta'' or ''cyma reversa''), combining a concave cavetto with a convex ovolo. It is characteristic of Ionic col ...

''.

Description

(Description as ''Tritoniscus'') Forms with subturbinate body with flat-topped turriculate whorls, a short spire and siphonal canal, subumbilicate, with a single large and heavy terminal varix and narrow callus on the body.

Distribution

This genus occurs in

tropical The tropics are the regions of Earth surrounding the Equator. They are defined in latitude by the Tropic of Cancer in the Northern Hemisphere at N and the Tropic of Capricorn in the Southern Hemisphere at S. The tropics are also referred to ...

and subtropical

Indo-Pacific The Indo-Pacific is a vast biogeographic region of Earth. In a narrow sense, sometimes known as the Indo-West Pacific or Indo-Pacific Asia, it comprises the tropical waters of the Indian Ocean, the western and central Pacific Ocean, and the ...

Oceans, western

America The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territor ...

, and the

Caribbean Sea The Caribbean Sea ( es, Mar Caribe; french: Mer des Caraïbes; ht, Lanmè Karayib; jam, Kiaribiyan Sii; nl, Caraïbische Zee; pap, Laman Karibe) is a sea of the Atlantic Ocean in the tropics of the Western Hemisphere. It is bounded by Mexico ...

Species

The genus ''Turritriton'' contains the following species: * ''

Turritriton fittkaui Turritriton is a genus of medium-sized sea snails, marine gastropod molluscs in the family Cymatiidae. This is often still regarded merely as a subgenus of the genus ''Cymatium''. Description (Description as ''Tritoniscus'') Forms with subtu ...

'' (Parth, 1991) * ''

Turritriton gibbosus ''Turritriton gibbosus'' is a species of predatory sea snail, a marine gastropod mollusk in the family Cymatiidae. Description (Described as ''Cymatium adairense'') The length of the shell measures 33 mm. It contains four glassy, smooth ...

'' (Broderip, 1833) - type species * † ''

Turritriton grundensis Turritriton is a genus of medium-sized sea snails, marine gastropod molluscs in the family Cymatiidae. This is often still regarded merely as a subgenus of the genus ''Cymatium''. Description (Description as ''Tritoniscus'') Forms with subtu ...

'' (R. Hoernes & Auinger, 1884) * ''

Turritriton kobelti ''Turritriton kobelti'' is a species of predatory sea snail, a marine gastropod mollusk in the family Cymatiidae. This species is a possible synonym or subspecies of '' Turritriton gibbosus''. Only genetic investigation can tell. Descriptio ...

'' (Von Maltzan, 1884) * ''

Turritriton labiosus ''Turritriton labiosus'', also known as ''Cymatium labiosum'',"''Cym ...

'' (Wood, 1828) * ''

Turritriton pharcida Turritriton is a genus of medium-sized sea snails, marine (ocean), marine gastropod molluscs in the family (biology), family Cymatiidae. This is often still regarded merely as a subgenus of the genus ''Cymatium (gastropod), Cymatium''. Descript ...

'' (Dall, 1889) * ''

Turritriton tenuiliratus ''Turritriton tenuiliratus'', common name: the thin-lined triton, is a species of predatory sea snail, a marine gastropod mollusk in the family Cymatiidae. Description The shell size varies between 30 mm and 60 mm Distribution Thi ...

'' (Lischke, 1873) WoRMS (2010). ''Turritriton tenuiliratus'' (Lischke, 1873). 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=476595 on 2010-09-16

References

External links

Iredale, T. (1936). Australian molluscan notes, no. 2. Records of the Australian Museum. 19(5): 267-340, pls 20-24
* Powell A W B, ''New Zealand Mollusca'', William Collins Publishers Ltd, Auckland, New Zealand 1979 {{Commons category Cymatiidae