''Clea'' is a

genus Genus ( plural genera ) is a taxonomic rank used in the biological classification of extant taxon, living and fossil organisms as well as Virus classification#ICTV classification, viruses. In the hierarchy of biological classification, genus com ...

freshwater snail Freshwater snails are gastropod mollusks which live in fresh water. There are many different families. They are found throughout the world in various habitats, ranging from ephemeral pools to the largest lakes, and from small seeps and springs ...

s with opercula, aquatic

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 ...

s in the subfamily Anentominae of the family

Nassariidae The Nassariidae, Nassa mud snails (USA), or dog whelks (UK), are a taxonomic family of small to medium-sized sea snails, marine gastropod mollusks in the clade Neogastropoda. "Dog whelk" also refers to ''Nucella lapillus''. Shell description T ...

, a family, almost all of the rest of which are

marine Marine is an adjective meaning of or pertaining to the sea or ocean. Marine or marines may refer to: Ocean * Maritime (disambiguation) * Marine art * Marine biology * Marine debris * Marine habitats * Marine life * Marine pollution Military * ...

Name

The members of this genus are known as assassin snails for their habit of eating other snails. They bury themselves and ambush their prey.

Taxonomy

This genus was treated within family

Buccinidae The Buccinidae are a very large and diverse taxonomic family of large sea snails, often known as whelks or true whelks.Bouchet, P.; Gofas, S. (2010). Buccinidae. In: Bouchet, P.; Gofas, S.; Rosenberg, G. (2010) World Marine Mollusca database. A ...

. It was moved to family

in 2016.Galindo, L. A., Puillandre, N., Utge, J., Lozouet, P., & Bouchet, P. (2016). "The phylogeny and systematics of the Nassariidae revisited (Gastropoda, Buccinoidea)". ''

Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution ''Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution'' is a peer-reviewed scientific journal of evolutionary biology and phylogenetics. The journal is edited by E.A. Zimmer. Indexing The journal is indexed in: *EMBiology *Journal Citation Reports *Scopus ...

'' 99: 337-353. It was classified in the newly established subfamily Anentominae within Nassariidae in 2017.Strong, E. E., Galindo, L. A., & Kantor, Y. I. (2017). "Quid est ''Clea helena''? Evidence for a previously unrecognized radiation of assassin snails (Gastropoda: Buccinoidea: Nassariidae)". ''PeerJ'' 5: e3638. .

Species

Species within the genus ''Clea'' include:Bouchet, P. (2017). ''Clea'' H. Adams & A. Adams, 1855. In: MolluscaBase (2017). Accessed through: World Register of Marine Species at http://www.marinespecies.org/aphia.php?p=taxdetails&id=490505 on 2017-11-21 * '' Clea bangueyensis''

Smith Smith may refer to: People * Metalsmith, or simply smith, a craftsman fashioning tools or works of art out of various metals * Smith (given name) * Smith (surname), a family name originating in England, Scotland and Ireland ** List of people wi ...

, 1895 * ''

Clea bockii ''Clea bockii'' is a species of freshwater snail with an operculum, an aquatic gastropod mollusk in the family Buccinidae, the true whelks, most of which are marine. Feeding habits Like all snails in the clade Neogastropoda, this species is ...

'' Brot, 1881 * '' Clea funesta'' H. Adams, 1862 * ''

Clea hidalgoi ''Clea hidalgoi'' is a Southeast Asian species of freshwater snail with an operculum, an aquatic gastropod mollusk in the family Nassariidae, most of which are marine. Distribution ''Clea hidalgoi'' occurs on Balabac Island, the westernmost ...

'' (

Crosse Crosse is a surname, and may refer to: * Andrew Crosse (1784–1855), British amateur scientist * Charles Crosse, British rugby * Charles G. Crosse, American physician and politician * Edmond Francis Crosse (1858-1941), first Archdeacon of Cheste ...

, 1886) * ''

Clea nigricans ''Clea nigricans'' is a species of freshwater snail with an operculum, an aquatic gastropod mollusk in the family Buccinidae, the true whelks, most of which are marine. ''Clea nigricans'' is the type species of the genus ''Clea''.Strong, E. E. ...

'' A. Adams, 1855 - type species of the genus ''Clea'' The following species are treated within the separate genus ''

Anentome ''Anentome'' is a genus of freshwater snails with opercula, aquatic gastropod mollusks in the subfamily Anentominae of the family Nassariidae, a family, almost all of the rest of which are marine.MolluscaBase eds. (2020). MolluscaBase. Anen ...

''. Previously they were treated within the subgenus ''Anentome''. * '' Clea bizonata'' (Deshayes, 1876) - synonym of ''

Anentome bizonata ''Anentome'' is a genus of freshwater snails with opercula, aquatic gastropod mollusks in the subfamily Anentominae of the family Nassariidae, a family, almost all of the rest of which are marine.MolluscaBase eds. (2020). MolluscaBase. Anentome ...

'' (Deshayes, 1876) * ''

Clea broti ''Clea broti'' is a Southeast Asian species of freshwater snail with an operculum, an aquatic gastropod mollusk in the family Buccinidae, the true whelks, most of which are marine. Distribution ''Clea broti'' occurs in the Mekong River in th ...

'' Deshayes, 1876 * ''

Clea cambojiensis ''Clea cambojiensis'' is a species of freshwater snail with an operculum, an aquatic gastropod mollusk in the family Buccinidae, the true whelks, most of which are marine. Distribution ''Clea cambojiensis'' occurs in the Mekong River in Cam ...

'' (Reeve, 1861) - synonym of ''

Anentome cambojiensis ''Anentome'' is a genus of freshwater snails with opercula, aquatic gastropod mollusks in the subfamily Anentominae of the family Nassariidae, a family, almost all of the rest of which are marine.MolluscaBase eds. (2020). MolluscaBase. Anentome ...

'' (Reeve, 1861) * ''

Clea costulata Clea Strange () is a fictional character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created by co-plotters Stan Lee and Steve Ditko, Clea first appeared in the Doctor Strange feature in ''Strange Tales'' #126 (November 1964). S ...

'' (Schepman, 1885) - synonym of ''

Anentome costulata ''Anentome'' is a genus of freshwater snails with opercula, aquatic gastropod mollusks in the subfamily Anentominae of the family Nassariidae, a family, almost all of the rest of which are marine.MolluscaBase eds. (2020). MolluscaBase. Anentome ...

'' (Schepman, 1885) * ''

Clea fusca ''Clea fusca'' is a species of freshwater snail with an operculum, an aquatic gastropod mollusk in the family Buccinidae, the true whelks, most of which are marine. Feeding habits Like all snails in the clade Neogastropoda, this species is ...

'' (H. Adams, 1862) - synonym of ''

Anentome fusca ''Anentome'' is a genus of freshwater snails with opercula, aquatic gastropod mollusks in the subfamily Anentominae of the family Nassariidae The Nassariidae, Nassa mud snails (USA), or dog whelks (UK), are a taxonomic family of small to me ...

'' (H. Adams, 1862) * ''

Clea helena ''Anentome helena'', common name assassin snail or bumblebee snail, is a species of freshwater snail with an operculum, an aquatic gastropod in the family Nassariidae, most of which are marine. Distribution The assassin snail is found throu ...

'' (von dem Busch, 1847) - synonym: ''Clea bocourti'' (Brot, 1876) - synonym of ''

Anentome helena ''Anentome helena'', common name assassin snail or bumblebee snail, is a species of freshwater snail with an operculum, an aquatic gastropod in the family Nassariidae, most of which are marine. Distribution The assassin snail is found throu ...

'' (von dem Busch, 1847) * '' Clea jullieni'' ( Deshayes in Deshayes & Jullien, 1876) - synonym of ''

Anentome jullieni ''Anentome'' is a genus of freshwater snails with opercula, aquatic gastropod mollusks in the subfamily Anentominae of the family Nassariidae, a family, almost all of the rest of which are marine.MolluscaBase eds. (2020). MolluscaBase. Anentome ...

'' (Deshayes, 1876) * '' Clea paviei'' Morlet, 1866 - synonym of ''

Anentome paviei ''Anentome'' is a genus of freshwater snails with opercula, aquatic gastropod mollusks in the subfamily Anentominae of the family Nassariidae, a family, almost all of the rest of which are marine.MolluscaBase eds. (2020). MolluscaBase. Anentome ...

'' (Morlet, 1866) * '' Clea scalarina'' (Deshayes in Deshayes & Jullien, 1876) - synonym of ''

Anentome scalarina ''Anentome'' is a genus of freshwater snails with opercula, aquatic gastropod mollusks in the subfamily Anentominae of the family Nassariidae, a family, almost all of the rest of which are marine Marine is an adjective meaning of or pertaining ...

'' (Deshayes, 1876) * '' Clea spinosa'' Temcharoen, 1971 - synonym of ''

Anentome spinosa ''Anentome'' is a genus of freshwater snails with Operculum (gastropod), opercula, Aquatic animal, aquatic gastropod mollusks in the subfamily Anentominae of the family Nassariidae, a family, almost all of the rest of which are Marine (ocean), ma ...

'' (Temcharoen, 1971) * '' Clea wykoffi'' Brandt, 1974- synonym of ''

Anentome wykoffi ''Anentome'' is a genus of freshwater snails with opercula, aquatic gastropod mollusks in the subfamily Anentominae of the family Nassariidae, a family, almost all of the rest of which are marine.MolluscaBase eds. (2020). MolluscaBase. Anentome ...

'' (Brandt, 1974) Synonyms: * '' Clea annesleyi'' Benson, 1861 is a synonym of '' Nassodonta annesleyi'' (Benson, 1861)

Distribution

This genus occurs in

Asia Asia (, ) is one of the world's most notable geographical regions, which is either considered a continent in its own right or a subcontinent of Eurasia, which shares the continental landmass of Afro-Eurasia with Africa. Asia covers an area ...

and

Africa Africa is the world's second-largest and second-most populous continent, after Asia in both cases. At about 30.3 million km2 (11.7 million square miles) including adjacent islands, it covers 6% of Earth's total surface area ...

Reproduction

''Clea'' consists of defined male and female genders and is not capable of gender change. It is unknown as to how to sex these animals. Both males and females seem to be the same size and shape. When a male and female mate, they lock together for 8–12 hours.

Feeding habits

Like all snails in the clade

Neogastropoda Neogastropoda is an order of sea snails, both freshwater and marine gastropod molluscs. Description The available fossil record of Neogastropoda is relatively complete, and supports a widely accepted evolutionary scenario of an Early Creta ...

, snails in this genus are carnivorous. They feed on different types of

worm Worms are many different distantly related bilateral animals that typically have a long cylindrical tube-like body, no limbs, and no eyes (though not always). Worms vary in size from microscopic to over in length for marine polychaete wor ...

s and gastropods, often eating other, larger snails after burying themselves and ambushing their prey.

Human use

Some members of this genus is a part of ornamental

pet trade Wildlife trade refers to the of products that are derived from non-domesticated animals or plants usually extracted from their natural environment or raised under controlled conditions. It can involve the trade of living or dead individuals, ti ...

for freshwater aquaria.Ng, T. H., Tan, S. K., Wong, W. H., Meier, R., Chan, S. Y., Tan, H. H., & Yeo, D. C. (2016). "Molluscs for sale: assessment of freshwater gastropods and bivalves in the ornamental pet trade". ''PLoS ONE'' 11(8): e0161130.

References

External links

{{DEFAULTSORT:Clea (Gastropod) Nassariidae