''Phorcus turbinatus'', common name the turbinate monodont, 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 ...

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 ...

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 ...

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 ...

Trochidae The Trochidae, common name top-snails or top-shells, are a family of various sized sea snails, marine gastropod molluscs in the subclass Vetigastropoda. This family is commonly known as the top-snails because in many species the shell resembles ...

, the top snails.Gofas, S. (2012). ''Phorcus turbinatus'' (Born, 1780). Accessed through:

World Register of Marine Species The World Register of Marine Species (WoRMS) is a taxonomic database that aims to provide an authoritative and comprehensive list of names of marine organisms. Content The content of the registry is edited and maintained by scientific specialist ...

at http://www.marinespecies.org/aphia.php?p=taxdetails&id=689179 on 2012-11-23

Description

The size of the shell varies between 15 mm and 43 mm. The very solid and thick, imperforate shell has a conical shape. It is whitish, tinged with gray, yellowish or greenish, tessellated with numerous spiral series of reddish, purple or chocolate sub-quadrangular blotches. The conoid

spire A spire is a tall, slender, pointed structure on top of a roof of a building or tower, especially at the summit of church steeples. A spire may have a square, circular, or polygonal plan, with a roughly conical or pyramidal shape. Spires are ...

is more or less elevated. The

apex The apex is the highest point of something. The word may also refer to: Arts and media Fictional entities * Apex (comics), a teenaged super villainess in the Marvel Universe * Ape-X, a super-intelligent ape in the Squadron Supreme universe *Apex ...

is eroded. The about 6

whorl 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 ...

s are slightly convex, with impressed spiral lines between the series of blotches, the last generally descending anteriorly. The base of the shell is eroded in front of the

aperture In optics, an aperture is a hole or an opening through which light travels. More specifically, the aperture and focal length of an optical system determine the cone angle of a bundle of rays that come to a focus in the image plane. An opt ...

. The aperture is very oblique. The thick, smooth 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 ...

is beveled to an edge. It is pearly and iridescent within. The

columella Lucius Junius Moderatus Columella (; Arabic: , 4 – ) was a prominent writer on agriculture in the Roman Empire. His ' in twelve volumes has been completely preserved and forms an important source on Roman agriculture, together with the wo ...

is flattened on the face, bluntly lobed within, pearly, backed by an opaque white layer.Tryon (1889), Manual of Conchology XI, Academy of Natural Sciences, Philadelphia
(described as ''Monodonta turbinata'')

Distribution

This marine species occurs in the following locations: * Mediterranean Sea * Greek Exclusive Economic Zone * Portuguese Exclusive Economic Zone * Spanish Exclusive Economic Zone (

Spain , image_flag = Bandera de España.svg , image_coat = Escudo de España (mazonado).svg , national_motto = ''Plus ultra'' (Latin)(English: "Further Beyond") , national_anthem = (English: "Royal March") , i ...

Canary Islands The Canary Islands (; es, Canarias, ), also known informally as the Canaries, are a Spanish autonomous community and archipelago in the Atlantic Ocean, in Macaronesia. At their closest point to the African mainland, they are west of Morocc ...

)

References

* Lamarck ( .-B. M.de), 1815-1822: ''Histoire naturelle des animaux sans vertèbres''; Paris * Payraudeau B. C., 1826: ''Catalogue descriptif et méthodique des Annelides et des Mollusques de l'île de Corse''; Paris pp. 218 + 8 pl. * Jeffreys J. G., 1856: ''On the marine Testacea of the Piedmontese coast''; Annals and Magazine of Natural History (2) 17: 155-188 * Bucquoy E., Dautzenberg P. & Dollfus G., 1882-1886: ''Les mollusques marins du Roussillon. Tome Ier. Gastropodes.''; Paris, J.B. Baillière & fils 570 p., 66 pl. * Monterosato T. A. (di), 1888-1889: ''Molluschi del Porto di Palermo. Specie e varietà''; Bullettino della Società Malacologica Italiana, Pisa 13 (1888 889?: 161-180 14 (1889): 75-81 * Pallary P., 1912: ''Catalogue des mollusques du littoral méditerranéen de l'Egypte''; Mémoires de l'Institut d'Egypte 7: 69-207, pl. 15-18 * Nordsieck F., 1974: ''Il genere Osilinus Philippi, 1847 nei mari europei'' ; La Conchiglia 9-10 (67-68): 21-23 * Nordsieck F., 1982: ''Die europäischen Meeres-Gehäuseschnecken. 2. Auflage.''; Gustav Fischer, Stuttgart 539 pp., 38 pl

External links

To World Register of Marine Species
* {{Taxonbar, from=Q7187379 turbinatus Gastropods described in 1780