''Cerithideopsilla conica'' is a

species In biology, a species is the basic unit of classification and a taxonomic rank of an organism, as well as a unit of biodiversity. A species is often defined as the largest group of organisms in which any two individuals of the appropriate s ...

of small

sea snail Sea snail is a common name for slow-moving marine gastropod molluscs, usually with visible external shells, such as whelk or abalone. They share the taxonomic class Gastropoda with slugs, which are distinguished from snails primarily by the ...

, a marine

gastropod The gastropods (), commonly known as snails and slugs, belong to a large taxonomic class of invertebrates within the phylum Mollusca called Gastropoda (). This class comprises snails and slugs from saltwater, from freshwater, and from land. T ...

mollusk Mollusca is the second-largest phylum of invertebrate animals after the Arthropoda, the members of which are known as molluscs or mollusks (). Around 85,000 extant species of molluscs are recognized. The number of fossil species is e ...

in the

family Family (from la, familia) is a Social group, group of people related either by consanguinity (by recognized birth) or Affinity (law), affinity (by marriage or other relationship). The purpose of the family is to maintain the well-being of its ...

Potamididae.WoRMS (2011). ''Potamides conicus'' (Blainville, 1829). Accessed through: World Register of Marine Species at http://www.marinespecies.org/aphia.php?p=taxdetails&id=140846 on 2011-04-10

Taxonomy

Reid et al. (2008) moved ''Potamides conicus'' to the genus ''

Cerithideopsilla ''Cerithideopsilla'' is a genus of medium-sized sea snails or mud snails, marine gastropod mollusks in the family Potamididae, the horn snails.Reid, David G. (2013). Cerithideopsilla Thiele, 1929. Accessed through: World Register of Marine Spec ...

'' based on the molecular phylogeny research. Other subsequent study also confirmed this placement within ''Cerithideopsilla''.Ozawa T., Yin W., Fu C., Claremont M., Smith L. & Reid D. G. (2015). "Allopatry and overlap in a clade of snails from mangroves and mud flats in the Indo-West Pacific and Mediterranean (Gastropoda: Potamididae: ''Cerithideopsilla'')". '' Biological Journal of the Linnean Society'' 114(1): 212-228. .

Distribution

Distribution of ''Cerithideopsilla conica'' include Mediterranean and Indian Ocean. This species occurs in or around: * European waters * Madagascar * The Red Sea

Description

The shell can attain a length of 14 mm.has a siphonal notch in the lower margin of the opening and the shell is thick.

Ecology

The development of ''Cerithideopsilla conica'' non-planktotrophic. Parasites of ''Cerithideopsilla conica'' include: * ''Cerithideopsilla conica'' serves as the first intermediate host of ''

Heterophyes heterophyes ''Heterophyes heterophyes'' was discovered by Theodor Maximaillian Bilharz in 1851. This parasite was found during an autopsy of an Egyptian mummy. ''H. heterophyes'' is found in the Middle East, West Europe and Africa. They use different species ...

''.Chai J. Y., Darwin Murrell K. & Lymbery A. J. (2005). "Fish-borne parasitic zoonoses: Status and issues". '' International Journal for Parasitology'' 35(11–12): 1233–1254. .

References

External links