Malacology
Malacology is the study of mollusks. This includes animals like octopus, snails, slugs, and clams. It is the second largest phylum of animals, making them one of the most successful groups on the planet. There are over 80,000 described species of mollusks with many more left to be discovered. Mullusca is composed of 8 recognized classes including Cephalopoda, Gastropoda, Polyplacophora, Scaphapoda, Monoplacophorans, the Aplacophorans, Caudofoveata and Solenogastres, and Bivalvia.
Angular Triton
(Linnaeus, 1758)
Cymatium femorale
Class:
Gastropoda
Order:
Littorinimorpha
Family:
Cymatiidae
Image Voucher:
ANSP 399446
Shell Information
Length (mm): 175-212
Dextral
Chirality:
This shell has about 7 whorls that contribute to a terraced spire. Each whorl has about two prominent axial varices that form sharp ridges extending from the shell. The variaces of lower whorls form a point in the same direction as the apex. This shell also has spiral ridges patterned with coarse knobs. These ridges form large nodules at the lip of the shell. The shell is typically pale yellow to orange or brown with patches of white particularly around the varices and knobs.
Description:
Ecological Information
Distribution:
Depth (m):
South Florida to Brazil
0.6 to 150 meters
Diet:
Carnivore; They eat bivalves including mussels.
Habitat:
Marine
Misc. Facts
Citations
MolluscaBase eds. (2021). MolluscaBase. Cymatium femorale (Linnaeus, 1758). Accessed through: World Register of Marine Species at: http://www.marinespecies.org/aphia.php?p=taxdetails&id=225025 on 2021-06-23
Morris, P. A. (1987). A field guide to shells: Atlantic and Gulf coasts and the West Indies (3rd ed.). Houghton Mifflin.
Jorrit H. Poelen, James D. Simons and Chris J. Mungall. (214). Global Biotic Interactions: An open infrastructure to share and analyze species-interaction datasets. Ecological Informatics. https://doi.org/1.116/j.ecoinf.214.8.5.