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.
Knobbed Triton
(Roding, 1798)
Gutturnium muricinum
Class:
Gastropoda
Order:
Littorinimorpha
Family:
Cymatiidae

Image Voucher:
ANSP 339708
Shell Information
Length (mm): 25-75
Dextral
Chirality:
This shell has 5 or 6 whorls with a medium sized spire. It typically has two thick axial varices on each whorl. It has spiral ribs that overlay consistent axial folds. The aperture sometimes develops a shield from the inner lip that extends onto the body whorl. The outside lip of the inner aperture can have a series of folds extending into the shell. The siphonal siphonal canal is wide and mostly enclosed. This shell is typically white to tan color with spiral lines of a darker gray. The aperture is bright white.
Description:
Ecological Information
Distribution:
Depth (m):
Florida to Brazil
0 to 27 meters
Diet:
Carnivore; They eat a variety of Bivalves including Giant Clams (Tridacna).
Habitat:
Marine
Misc. Facts
This shell is also sometimes called the White-Mouthed Triton.
Citations
MolluscaBase eds. (2021). MolluscaBase. Gutturnium muricinum (Roding, 1798). Accessed through: World Register of Marine Species at: http://www.marinespecies.org/aphia.php?p=taxdetails&id=220950 on 2021-06-23
Rosenberg, G. 2009. Malacolog 4.1.1: A Database of Western Atlantic Marine Mollusca. [WWW database (version 4.1.1)] URL http://www.malacolog.org/
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.