''Epitonium clathrus'', also known as the common wentletrap, is a species of small predatory

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 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 * ...

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 ...

mollusc 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 esti ...

in the family

Epitoniidae Wentletraps are small, often white, very high-spired, predatory or ectoparasitic sea snails, marine gastropod mollusks in the family Epitoniidae.Gofas, S. (2010). Epitoniidae. In: Bouchet, P.; Gofas, S.; Rosenberg, G. (2010) World Marine Mollu ...

, the wentletraps.WoRMS (2010). "''Epitonium clathrum'' (Linnaeus, 1758)". 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=146905 on 2010-11-25

Taxonomy

Originally described by Carl Linnaeus as ''Turbo clathrus'', it was later known as ''Clathrus clathrus'', ''Scalaria communis'' and ''Epitonium commune''.

Distribution

The common wentletrap is very common along the eastern Atlantic coast, in the North Sea up to Norway, the Mediterranean and the Black Sea. Live specimens have only rarely been observed.(in Dutch language) While it does occur in the Baltic Sea, it has become a vulnerable species there.

Feeding habits

''Epitonium clathrus'' is a predator of

sea anemone Sea anemones are a group of predation, predatory marine invertebrates of the order (biology), order Actiniaria. Because of their colourful appearance, they are named after the ''Anemone'', a terrestrial flowering plant. Sea anemones are classifi ...

s (Anthozoa, Actiniaria) and corals (Anthozoa, Scleractinia). It has been seen feeding on the sea anemone ''

Anemonia sulcata ''Anemonia sulcata'', or Mediterranean snakelocks sea anemone, is a species of sea anemone in the family Actiniidae from the Mediterranean Sea. Whether ''A. sulcata'' should be recognized as a synonym of '' A. viridis'' remains a matter of disput ...

'' and found in the neighbourhood of sea anemones ''

Sagartia troglodytes ''Sagartia troglodytes'' is a species of sea anemone in the family Sagartiidae, also known as the mud sagartia or the cave-dwelling anemone. Description The base is anchored in holes in the rock and is a little wider than the column. This is ...

'' and '' Sargartiogeton undatus''.

Description

Shell: The cone-shaped shell reaches a height of 35 mm. It is shiny white to cream coloured, often with brown spots. Seven thick and very distinct ''costae'' (spiral ribs) wind around twelve to fifteen

whorls A whorl ( or ) is an individual circle, oval, volution or equivalent in a whorled pattern, which consists of a spiral or multiple concentric objects (including circles, ovals and arcs). Whorls in nature File:Photograph and axial plane floral d ...

. These convex whorls often contain two or three purple bands that can best seen when they cross the lamella of the outer lip. The

protoconch A protoconch (meaning first or earliest or original shell) is an embryonic or larval shell which occurs in some classes of molluscs, e.g., the initial chamber of an ammonite or the larval shell of a gastropod. In older texts it is also called ...

is usually blunt. The aperture is entire and rounded. Its top coincides with a suture. The umbilicus is lacking. The operculum is horny and paucispiral. Soft parts (data compiled from George Washington Tryon (1887) and

Johannes Thiele Johannes Thiele may refer to: *Johannes Thiele (zoologist) *Johannes Thiele (chemist) {{hndis, Thiele, Johannes ...

(1929)): The short foot is truncated in front and extends far in advance of the head. The long tentacles are narrow and close together. The eyes are situated on the base of the tentacles. The mantle margin is simple and contains a rudimentary siphonal fold. The

radula The radula (, ; plural radulae or radulas) is an anatomical structure used by molluscs for feeding, sometimes compared to a tongue. It is a minutely toothed, chitinous ribbon, which is typically used for scraping or cutting food before the food ...

is wide and more or less bent at the end. The radular teeth are elongate and hook shaped or needle shaped, with many teeth in a series. The species is hermaphroditic.

References

* {{Taxonbar , from=Q1835212 Epitoniidae Taxa named by Carl Linnaeus Gastropods described in 1758