Gemmula
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''Gemmula'', common name the gem turrids, 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 ...
of
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 ...
s, 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 ...
s 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 ...
Turridae Turridae is a taxonomic family name for a number of predatory sea snails, marine gastropod mollusks in the superfamily Conoidea. MolluscaBase (2018). Turridae H. Adams & A. Adams, 1853 (1838). Accessed through: World Register of Marine Specie ...
, the turrids. These snails have been recorded as fossils from the
Paleocene The Paleocene, ( ) or Palaeocene, is a geological epoch (geology), epoch that lasted from about 66 to 56 mya (unit), million years ago (mya). It is the first epoch of the Paleogene Period (geology), Period in the modern Cenozoic Era (geology), E ...
to the
Quaternary The Quaternary ( ) is the current and most recent of the three periods of the Cenozoic Era in the geologic time scale of the International Commission on Stratigraphy (ICS). It follows the Neogene Period and spans from 2.58 million years ...
(from 66.043 to 0.012 Ma). Fossils have been found all over the world.Paleobiology Database
/ref> This genus is still regarded as
paraphyletic In taxonomy (general), taxonomy, a group is paraphyletic if it consists of the group's most recent common ancestor, last common ancestor and most of its descendants, excluding a few Monophyly, monophyletic subgroups. The group is said to be pa ...
and should be revised. A high number of undescribed species are estimated to belong to ''Gemmula''. Since independent “Gemmula-like” lineages are distributed all over the turrid tree, a revision of ''Gemmula'' would entail again a complete revision of the family Turridae. They are venomous with
disulfide In biochemistry, a disulfide (or disulphide in British English) refers to a functional group with the structure . The linkage is also called an SS-bond or sometimes a disulfide bridge and is usually derived by the coupling of two thiol groups. In ...
-rich
polypeptide Peptides (, ) are short chains of amino acids linked by peptide bonds. Long chains of amino acids are called proteins. Chains of fewer than twenty amino acids are called oligopeptides, and include dipeptides, tripeptides, and tetrapeptides. A p ...
s in their venom ducts. These bioactive peptides are likely to become a resource for novel pharmacologically active compounds


Habitat and feeding habits

The snails in this genus occur mostly in deeper tropical waters at depths between 50 and 500m. Because of these deep habitats, little is known about their feeding habits.


Taxonomy

The ''Gemmula''
clade A clade (), also known as a monophyletic group or natural group, is a group of organisms that are monophyletic – that is, composed of a common ancestor and all its lineal descendants – on a phylogenetic tree. Rather than the English term, ...
is more closely related to the clades '' Xenuroturris'', ''
Turris ''Turris'' is a genus of sea snails, marine gastropod mollusks in the family Turridae, the turrids. Description The generally large shells are variegated with spots. The fusiform shell is turriculated with a long, sharp spire. The aperture is ...
'' and '' Lophiotoma'' than to the other clades in the former subfamily
Turrinae Turrinae is a former subfamily of predatory sea snails, marine gastropod mollusks in the family Turridae the turrids. Genera Genera in the subfamily Turrinae include: *''Austrogemmula '' Laseron, 1954: synonym of '' Epidirella'' Iredale, ...
.


Description

The fusiform shell resembles ''
Drillia ''Drillia'' is a genus of small sea snails, marine gastropod mollusks in the family Drilliidae. General characteristics The shell is turriculated, with an elevated spire, longitudinal ribs, and usually revolving striae. The spiral sculpture of t ...
,'' but with a thin and simple outer
lip The lips are the visible body part at the mouth of many animals, including humans. Lips are soft, movable, and serve as the opening for food intake and in the articulation of sound and speech. Human lips are a tactile sensory organ, and can be ...
without an anterior sulcus, and the inner lip usually simple, hardly callous. 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 polygyrate and axially costate. There are three or four embryonal whorls, the two upper ones smooth, upright, the others longitudinally ribbed. The sculpture is most emphasized in a spiral direction, often with a prominent beaded keel at or in front of the anal fasciole.The rather long
siphonal canal The siphonal canal is an anatomical feature of the shells of certain groups of sea snails within the clade Neogastropoda. Some sea marine gastropods have a soft tubular anterior extension of the mantle called a siphon through which water is ...
is narrow and tapering, sometimes curved. The sinus is straight, more or less narrow and long, terminating in a nodulous peripheral keel that is gemmate throughout. Type species : ''Pleurotoma gemmata'' Hinds, 1843 The bead-row of the fasciole readily distinguishes this genus from related forms. Between the smooth
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 ...
and the adult whorls two or three whorls intervene with descrepant
sculpture Sculpture is the branch of the visual arts that operates in three dimensions. Sculpture is the three-dimensional art work which is physically presented in the dimensions of height, width and depth. It is one of the plastic arts. Durable sc ...
of fine arcuate longitudinal riblets. As expected from venomous species, these species have a toxoglosson
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 ...
(formula 1 + 0 +1 + 0 + 1) with a central tooth that characterizes this genus.


Species

The genus ''Gemmula'' is the largest genus in the former subfamily
Turrinae Turrinae is a former subfamily of predatory sea snails, marine gastropod mollusks in the family Turridae the turrids. Genera Genera in the subfamily Turrinae include: *''Austrogemmula '' Laseron, 1954: synonym of '' Epidirella'' Iredale, ...
. Species within the genus ''Gemmula'' include: * '' Gemmula albina'' (Lamarck, 1822) * '' Gemmula alwyni'' Kilburn, 2005 * '' Gemmula amabilis'' (Weinkauff, 1875) * '' Gemmula ambara'' Olivera et al., 2008 * † '' Gemmula antedenticulata'' Lozouet, 2017 * † '' Gemmula bearrizensis'' Pacaud, 2021 * † '' Gemmula bimarginata'' (Suter, 1917) * † '' Gemmula birmanica'' Vredenburg, 1921 * † '' Gemmula brevirostris'' Lozouet, 2017 * '' Gemmula championi'' Kilburn, 1983 * '' Gemmula chinoi'' Stahlschmidt, Poppe & Tagaro, 2018 * † '' Gemmula clifdenensis'' Powell, 1942 * '' Gemmula closterion'' Sysoev, 1997 * '' Gemmula concinna'' (Dunker, 1871) * ''
Gemmula congener ''Gemmula congener'', common name Melvill's turrid, is a species of sea snail, a marine gastropod mollusk in the family Turridae, the turrids. Synonyms * ''Gemmula congener cosmoi'' (Sykes, 1930): synonym of '' Gemmula cosmoi'' (Sykes, 1930) * ...
'' (Smith E. A., 1894) * '' Gemmula contrasta'' Stahlschmidt, Poppe & Tagaro, 2018 * '' Gemmula cosmoi'' (Sykes, 1930) * '' Gemmula damperierana'' Powell, 1964 * † '' Gemmula denticula'' (Basterot, 1825) * ''
Gemmula diomedea ''Gemmula diomedea'', common name the albatross turrid, is a species of sea snail, a marine gastropod mollusk in the family Turridae, the turrids. Taxonomy According to Wilson, 1994 A.W.B. Powell, 1966 described it as a subspecies of ''Gemmula ...
'' Powell, 1964 * † '' Gemmula disjuncta'' Laws, 1936 * '' Gemmula ducalis'' (Thiele, 1925) * † '' Gemmula duplex'' (Suter, 1917) * '' Gemmula fenestrata'' Kosuge, 1990 * '' Gemmula flata'' Baoquan Li & Xinzheng Li, 2008 * † '' Gemmula funiculosa'' Lozouet, 2017 * † '' Gemmula garviei'' Tracey & Craig, 2019 * '' Gemmula gemmulina'' (Martens, 1902) * '' Gemmula gilchristi'' (Sowerby III, 1902) * '' Gemmula graeffei'' (Weinkauff, 1875) * '' Gemmula grandigyrata'' Baoquan Li & Xinzheng Li, 2008 * '' Gemmula granosus'' (Helbling, 1779) * '' Gemmula hastula'' (Reeve, 1843) * '' Gemmula hawleyi'' (Iredale, 1931) * '' Gemmula hindsiana'' Berry, 1958 * '' Gemmula hombroni'' Hedley, 1922 * '' Gemmula husamaru'' (Nomura, 1940) * '' Gemmula interpolata'' Powell, 1967 * † '' Gemmula kaiparaensis'' (P. Marshall, 1918) * '' Gemmula kieneri'' (Doumet, 1840) * † '' Gemmula lawsi'' Powell, 1942 * '' Gemmula lisajoni'' Olivera, 1999 * † '' Gemmula longwoodensis'' Powell, 1942 * '' Gemmula lordhoweensis'' Kantor & Sysoev, 1991 * '' Gemmula lululimi'' Olivera, 1999 * † '' Gemmula machapoorensis'' C.J. Maury, 1925 * † '' Gemmula margaritata'' (P. Marshall, 1919) * '' Gemmula martini'' (Tesch, 1915) * '' Gemmula monilifera'' (Pease, 1860) * '' Gemmula murrayi'' Powell, 1964 * '' Gemmula mystica'' Simone, 2005 * † '' Gemmula obesa'' Lozouet, 2017 * '' Gemmula oliverai'' Stahlschmidt, Poppe & Tagaro, 2018 * † '' Gemmula orba'' Marwick, 1931 * † '' Gemmula ornata'' (P. Marshall, 1918) * † '' Gemmula osca'' Pacaud, 2021 * † '' Gemmula parkinsonii'' (Sandberger, 1860) * † '' Gemmula peraspera'' Marwick, 1931 * † '' Gemmula peyrerensis'' (Peyrot, 1931) * † '' Gemmula polita'' (P. Marshall, 1919) * '' Gemmula pseudogranosa'' (Nomura, 1940) * '' Gemmula pseudomonilifera'' Powell, 1967 * '' Gemmula pseudostupa'' Y.-P. Cheng & C.-Y. Lee, 2011 * '' Gemmula rarimaculata'' Kuroda, Habe & Oyama, 1971 * † '' Gemmula reticulata'' (P. Marshall, 1919) * '' Gemmula rosario'' Shikama, 1977 * '' Gemmula rotata'' (Brocchi, 1814) * † '' Gemmula samueli'' (Tenison Woods, 1879) * † '' Gemmula sculpturata'' Harzhauser, Raven & Landau, 2018 * '' Gemmula sibogae'' ( Schepman, 1913) * '' Gemmula sibukoensis'' Powell, 1964 * '' Gemmula sikatunai'' Olivera, 2004 * '' Gemmula sogodensis'' Olivera, 2004 * '' Gemmula speciosa'' (Reeve, 1842) * '' Gemmula stupa'' Lee, 2001 * '' Gemmula subfenestrata'' Kosuge, 1990 * † '' Gemmula tuckeri'' Tracey & Craig, 2019 * '' Gemmula vagata'' (Smith E. A., 1895) * † '' Gemmula waihaoensis'' Finlay, 1924 * ''
Gemmula webberae ''Gemmula webberae'' is a species of sea snail, a marine gastropod mollusk in the family Turridae, the turrids. Description The length of the shell attains 55 mm. Distribution This marine species occurs off South Africa;off Madagascar and Zan ...
'' Kilburn, 1975 * '' Gemmula westaustralis'' Kosuge, 1990 ;Species brought into synonymy: * ''Gemmula aethiopica'' (Thiele, 1925): synonym of '' Cryptogemma aethiopica'' (Thiele, 1925) * ''Gemmula bisinuata'' (Martens, 1901): synonym of '' Cryptogemma praesignis'' (E. A. Smith, 1895) * ''Gemmula luzonica'' (Powell, 1964): synonym of '' Cryptogemma aethiopica'' (Thiele, 1925) * ''Gemmula microscelida'' (Dall, 1895): synonym of '' Cryptogemma praesignis'' (E. A. Smith, 1895) * ''Gemmula periscelida'' (Dall, 1889): synonym of '' Cryptogemma periscelida'' (Dall, 1889) * ''Gemmula praesignis'' (Smith E. A., 1895): synonym of '' Cryptogemma praesignis'' (E. A. Smith, 1895) * ''Gemmula rotatilis'' (Martens, 1902): synonym of '' Cryptogemma praesignis'' (E. A. Smith, 1895) * ''Gemmula teschi'' (Powell, 1964): synonym of '' Cryptogemma timorensis'' (Tesch, 1915) * ''Gemmula tessellata'' Powell, 1967: synonym of '' Cryptogemma tessellata'' (Powell, 1967) * ''Gemmula thielei'' Finlay H. J., 1930: synonym of '' Cryptogemma aethiopica'' (Thiele, 1925) * ''Gemmula truncata'' (Schepman, 1913): synonym of '' Cryptogemma phymatias'' (R. B. Watson, 1886) * ''Gemmula unedo'' (Kiener, 1840): synonym of '' Unedogemmula unedo'' (Kiener, 1839) * ''Gemmula unilineata'' Powell, 1967: synonym of ''
Cryptogemma unilineata ''Cryptogemma unilineata'' is a species of sea snail, a marine gastropod mollusk in the family Turridae, the turrids.MolluscaBase eds. (2020). MolluscaBase. Cryptogemma unilineata (Powell, 1967). Accessed through: World Register of Marine Specie ...
'' (Powell, 1967) * ''Gemmula vicella'' Dall, 1908 accepted as '' Gymnobela vicella'' (Dall, 1908) (original combination)


References

* Powell, A.W.B. 1964. ''The Family Turridae in the Indo-Pacific. Part 1. The Subfamily Turrinae''. Indo-Pacific Mollusca 1: 227-346 * Kilburn, R.N. (1983) ''Turridae (Mollusca: Gastropoda) of southern Africa and Mozambique. Part 1. Subfamily Turrinae''. Annals of the Natal Museum, 25, 549–585.


External links


Weinkauff H.C. (1875). Ueber eine kritische Gruppe des Genus Pleurotoma Lam. sensu stricto. Jahrbücher der Deutschen Malakozoologischen Gesellschaft. 2: 285-292, pl. 9

Tucker, J.K. 2004 ''Catalog of recent and fossil turrids (Mollusca: Gastropoda)''. Zootaxa 682:1-1295



BAOQUAN LI, XINZHENG LI, Report on the turrid genera Gemmula, Lophiotoma and Ptychosyrinx (Gastropoda: Turridae: Turrinae) from the China seas; Zootaxa Vol 1778, No 1
{{Commonscat Turridae Extant Danian first appearances