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.
Gold-Mothed Triton
(Roding, 1798)
Monoplex nicobaricus
Class:
Order:
Family:
Gastropoda
Littorinimorpha
Cymatiidae
Shell Information
Length (mm): 35-90
Dextral
Chirality:
This shell has 5 to 6 whorls with a medium sized spire. It has about two large rounded varices on each shell whorl. It is sculpted by a series of alternating large and small spiral ribs that intersect axial folds. The inside of the outer lip of the aperture has a series of folds leading into the shell. These folds are often white while the rest of the inner aperture is a bright orange. There is a medium sized siphonal canal that is mostly enclosed and is often slightly curved. The outer shell is typically gray or white with lines and blotches of brown.
Description:
Ecological Information
Distribution:
Depth (m):
Florida to West Indies
0 to 36 meters
Diet:
Carnivore; They eat a variety of Bivalves including Giant Clams (Tridacna).
Habitat:
Marine
Misc. Facts
Citations
MolluscaBase eds. (2021). MolluscaBase. Monoplex nicobaricus (Roding, 1798). Accessed through: World Register of Marine Species at: http://www.marinespecies.org/aphia.php?p=taxdetails&id=476529 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.