''Conuber sordidum'' (originally described as ''Natica sordida'' by Swainson) 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
predatory
Predation is a biological interaction where one organism, the predator, kills and eats another organism, its prey. It is one of a family of common feeding behaviours that includes parasitism and micropredation (which usually do not kill th ...
sea snail, a
marine gastropod 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 ...
family
Family (from la, familia) is a group of people related either by consanguinity (by recognized birth) or affinity (by marriage or other relationship). The purpose of the family is to maintain the well-being of its members and of society. Idea ...
Naticidae
Naticidae, common name moon snails or necklace shells, is a family of medium to large-sized predatory sea snails, marine gastropod molluscs in the clade Littorinimorpha. The shells of the species in this family are mostly globular in shape.
Nat ...
, the moon snails.
[Swainson, W. (1820-1821) Zoological Illustrations, or original figures and descriptions of new, rare, or interesting animals, selected chiefly from the classes of ornithology, entomology, and conchology, and arranged on the principles of Cuvier and other modern zoologists. Vol. 2. London][Huelsken, T., Tapken, D., Dahlmann, T., Wägele, H., Riginos, C., Hollmann, M. (2012). Systematics and phylogenetic species delimitation within Polinices s.l. (Caenogastropoda: Naticidae) based on molecular data and shell morphology. Organisms Diversity & Evolution. DOI: 10.1007/s13127-012-0111-5]
ODE homepage
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Distribution
East coast of Australia, from Victoria to Queensland. The species also occurs off Tasmania and New Zealand.[''Conuber sordidus'' o]
Indo-Pacific Molluscan Database
/ref>
Life habits
Conuber sordidum is predatory, feeding mostly on bivalves and gastropods.[Bishop, M. J., Cole, M. R., Taylor, S. L., Wilkie, E. M. & Kelaher, B. P. (2008) Size-specific predation by dominant consumers maintains a 'trophic cul-de-sac'. Marine Ecology Progress Series 354, 75-83.] The species is also known to prey on the soldier crab '' Mictyris longicarpus'' by drilling predation.[Huelsken, T. (2011) First evidence of drilling predation by Conuber sordidus (Swainson, 1821) (Gastropoda: Naticidae) on soldier crabs (Crustacea: Mictyridae). Molluscan Research, 31(2), 125-131]
/ref> To catch soldier crabs, ''C. sordidum'' uses the same stereotyped behaviour as previously described for moon snails hunting shelled molluscan prey.
Habitat
On intertidal muddy sand flats near mangroves or sea weed.
References
* Torigoe K. & Inaba A. (2011). Revision on the classification of Recent Naticidae. Bulletin of the Nishinomiya Shell Museum. 7: 133 + 15 pp., 4 pls
External links
Quoy J.R.C. & Gaimard J.P. (1832-1835). Voyage de découvertes de l'"Astrolabe" exécuté par ordre du Roi, pendant les années 1826-1829, sous le commandement de M. J. Dumont d'Urville. Zoologie.
Video of ''Conuber sordidus'' hunting ''Mictyris longicarpus''
on YouTube
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*
Naticidae
Gastropods described in 1821
{{Naticidae-stub