''Lithopoma'' 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 medium-sized to large

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 with a

calcareous Calcareous () is an adjective meaning "mostly or partly composed of calcium carbonate", in other words, containing lime or being chalky. The term is used in a wide variety of scientific disciplines. In zoology ''Calcareous'' is used as an adje ...

operculum,

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 ...

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

Turbininae Turbinidae, the turban snails, are a family of small to large marine gastropod molluscs in the superfamily Trochoidea.Bouchet, P. (2014). Turbinidae Rafinesque, 1815. Accessed through: World Register of Marine Species at http://www.marinespec ...

of the family

Turbinidae Turbinidae, the turban snails, are a family of small to large marine gastropod molluscs in the superfamily Trochoidea.Bouchet, P. (2014). Turbinidae Rafinesque, 1815. Accessed through: World Register of Marine Species at http://www.marinespecie ...

, the turban snails.Bouchet, P.; Rosenberg, G. (2011). Lithopoma Gray, 1850. Accessed through: World Register of Marine Species at http://www.marinespecies.org/aphia.php?p=taxdetails&id=240760 on 2011-11-09

Description

The elevated, imperforate shell has a turbinate or trochiform shape. with a plicate spire that is flat or concave below. Its periphery is carinated or rounded. The base of the shell is somewhat convex. The whorls above are radiately plicate. The operculum is oval, outside coarsely granulose, and either simply convex or with a curved spiral rib with its terminations connected by a straight one. The nucleus is submarginal.G.W. Tryon (1888), Manual of Conchology X; Academy of Natural Sciences, Philadelphia
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Distribution

This genus occurs in the

Caribbean Sea The Caribbean Sea ( es, Mar Caribe; french: Mer des Caraïbes; ht, Lanmè Karayib; jam, Kiaribiyan Sii; nl, Caraïbische Zee; pap, Laman Karibe) is a sea of the Atlantic Ocean in the tropics of the Western Hemisphere. It is bounded by Mexico ...

, the

Gulf of Mexico The Gulf of Mexico ( es, Golfo de México) is an oceanic basin, ocean basin and a marginal sea of the Atlantic Ocean, largely surrounded by the North American continent. It is bounded on the northeast, north and northwest by the Gulf Coast of ...

and off the

Lesser Antilles The Lesser Antilles ( es, link=no, Antillas Menores; french: link=no, Petites Antilles; pap, Antias Menor; nl, Kleine Antillen) are a group of islands in the Caribbean Sea. Most of them are part of a long, partially volcanic island arc betwe ...

Species

Species within this genus were previously placed in the genus ''

Astraea Astraea, Astrea or Astria ( grc, Ἀστραία, Astraía; "star-maiden" or "starry night"), in ancient Greek religion, is a daughter of Astraeus and Eos. She is the virgin goddess of justice, innocence, purity and precision. She is closely asso ...

''. They include: * ''

Lithopoma americanum ''Lithopoma americanum'' is a species of sea snail, a marine gastropod mollusk in the family Turbinidae, the turban snails. Distribution This marine snail occurs in the Caribbean Sea, the Gulf of Mexico and off the Lesser Antilles. Descri ...

'' (Gmelin, 1791) * ''

Lithopoma brevispina ''Lithopoma brevispina'' is a species of sea snail, a marine gastropod mollusk in the family Turbinidae, the turban snails.Bouchet, P. (2012). ''Lithopoma brevispina'' (Lamarck, 1822). Accessed through: World Register of Marine Species at htt ...

'' (Lamarck, 1822) * ''

Lithopoma caelatum ''Lithopoma caelatum'', common name the carved star shell, is a species of sea snail, a marine gastropod mollusk in the family Turbinidae, the turban snails. Distribution This species occurs in the Gulf of Mexico, the Caribbean Sea and the Le ...

'' (Gmelin, 1791) * ''

Lithopoma phoebium ''Lithopoma phoebium'', common name the longspine star shell, is a species of medium-sized sea snail, a marine gastropod mollusk in the family Turbinidae, the turban snails.Bouchet, P. (2011). Lithopoma phoebium (Röding, 1798). Accessed thr ...

'' (Röding, 1798) * ''

Lithopoma tectum ''Lithopoma tectum'', common name the West Indian starsnail, is a species of sea snail, a marine gastropod mollusk in the family Turbinidae, the turban snails. Distribution This species occurs in the Caribbean Sea, the Gulf of Mexico and the ...

'' (Lightfoot, 1786) * ''

Lithopoma tuber ''Lithopoma tuber'', common name the green star shell, is a species of large sea snail, a marine gastropod mollusk in the family Turbinidae, the turban snails. Description The size of the shell varies between 25 mm and 75 mm. The ...

'' (

Linnaeus Carl Linnaeus (; 23 May 1707 – 10 January 1778), also known after his ennoblement in 1761 as Carl von Linné Blunt (2004), p. 171. (), was a Swedish botanist, zoologist, taxonomist, and physician who formalised binomial nomenclature, the ...

1758 Events January–March * January 1 – Swedish biologist Carl Linnaeus (Carl von Linné) publishes in Stockholm the first volume (''Animalia'') of the 10th edition of Systema Naturae, 10th edition of ''Systema Naturae'', the sta ...

) ;Species brought into synonymy: * ''Lithopoma gibberosa'' (Dillwyn, 1817) : synonym of ''

Pomaulax gibberosus ''Pomaulax gibberosus'', common name the red turban, is a species of medium-sized to large sea snail with a calcareous operculum, a marine gastropod mollusk in the family Turbinidae, the turban snails.Bouchet, P. (2011). Pomaulax gibberosus ...

'' (Dillwyn, 1817) * ''Lithopoma gibberosum'' (Dillwyn, 1817): synonym of ''

'' (Dillwyn, 1817) * ''Lithopoma heliotropium'' (Martyn, T., 1784): synonym of ''

Astraea heliotropium ''Astraea heliotropium'', common name the sunburst star turban or the circular saw shell, is a large sea snail, a marine gastropod mollusc of the family Turbinidae, the turbans and star snails.WoRMS (2010). ''Astraea heliotropium'' (Martyn, 1784 ...

'' (Martyn, 1784) * ''Lithopoma imbricatum'' Gmelin, J.F., 1791: synonym of ''

'' (Lightfoot, 1786) * ''Lithopoma phoebium longispina'' Lamarck, J.B.P.A. de, 1822: synonym of ''

'' (Röding, 1798) * ''Lithopoma tectum americanum'' (Gmelin, 1791): synonym of ''

'' (Gmelin, 1791) * ''Lithopoma tuber venezuelensis'' Flores, C. & Cáceres de Talarico, 1980: synonym of ''

'' (Linnaeus, 1758) * ''Lithopoma undosum'' (W. Wood, 1828): synonym of ''

Megastraea undosa ''Megastraea undosa'', common name the wavy turban snail, is a species of sea snail, a marine gastropod mollusk in the family Turbinidae, the turban snails. This species is native to the coast of California. Distribution This species occurs in ...

'' (W. Wood, 1828)

References

* Williams, S.T. (2007). ''Origins and diversification of Indo-West Pacific marine fauna: evolutionary history and biogeography of turban shells (Gastropoda, Turbinidae)''. Biological Journal of the Linnean Society, 2007, 92, 573–592 * Alf A. & Kreipl K. (2011) ''The family Turbinidae. Subfamilies Turbininae Rafinesque, 1815 and Prisogasterinae Hickman & McLean, 1990.'' In: G.T. Poppe & K. Groh (eds), A Conchological Iconography. Hackenheim: Conchbooks. pp. 1–82, pls 104-245

External links

* Malacolog info at

Lithopoma, Turbinidae Gastropod genera Taxa named by John Edward Gray {{Turbinidae-stub