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Epitonium Muricatum
''Epitonium'' is a genus of small predatory sea snails, marine (ocean), marine gastropod mollusks. ''Epitonium'' is the type genus of the family (biology), family Epitoniidae, the wentletraps.Bouchet, P.; Gofas, S. (2010). Epitonium Röding, 1798. 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=137943 on 2010-11-22 The common name wentletraps is derived from the Dutch language, Dutch word ''wenteltrap'', denoting a Stairway#Spiral and helical stairs, spiral staircase. This refers to the striking form and sculpture of the shells of the mollusks in this genus, and to a lesser extent, the whole family. The genus ''Epitonium'' has been divided in the past by some authors into several subgenera, but these subgenera were based only on shell characters and did not reflect the true underlying relationships or phylogeny. Shell description ''Epiton ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Sculpture (mollusc)
Sculpture is a feature of many of the shells of mollusks. It is three-dimensional ornamentation on the outer surface of the shell, as distinct from either the basic shape of the shell itself or the pattern of colouration, if any. Sculpture is a feature found in the shells of gastropods, bivalves, and scaphopods. The word "sculpture" is also applied to surface features of the aptychus of ammonites, and to the outer surface of some calcareous opercula of marine gastropods such as some species in the family Trochidae. Sculpture can be concave or convex, incised into the surface or raised from it. Sometimes the sculpture has microscopic detailing. The term "sculpture" refers only to the calcareous outer layer of shell, and does not include the proteinaceous periostracum, which is in some cases textured even when the underlying shell surface is smooth. In many taxa, there is no sculpture on the shell surface at all, apart from the presence of fine growth lines. The sculpture ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
