''Thylacodes arenarius'' 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 ...

Vermetidae, the worm snails or worm shells.

Description

Shells of ''T. arenarius'' are irregular, and can reach a length of about . The diameter of the round opening reach . The inner surface is smooth and shiny. These shells are cemented onto a hard surface and resemble the calcareous tubes of certain marine worms, for example worms in the polychaete family Serpulidae. The visible part of the body is red with cream markings. The foot of this mollusk is atrophied and it has lost its function of movement.

Distribution

This species can be found in the Mediterranean Sea - Eastern Basin and in the North Atlantic Ocean - European waters.

Synonyms

* ''Lemintina arenaria'' ( Linnaeus,

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 ...

) * ''Lemintina selecta'' (Monterosato, 1878) * ''Lemintina selecta var. arborea'' Monterosato, 1884 * ''Serpula arenaria'' Linnaeus, 1758 (original combination. Not Polychaeta, transferred to Vermetidae Mollusca) * ''Serpulorbis arenarius'' ( Linnaeus,

) Biolib
/ref> * ''Serpulorbis polyphragma'' Sasso, 1827 * ''Serpulus arenarius var. gracilior'' Mörch, 1859 (infrasubspecific) * ''Thylacodus polyphragma'' (Sasso, 1827) * ''Thylacodus polyphragma var. aletes'' Mörch, 1862 (synonym) * ''Vermetus arenarius'' (Linnnaeus, 1758) * ''Vermetus arenarius var. minor'' Sacco, 1896 (junior primary homonym) * ''Vermetus dentifer'' Lamarck, 1818 (synonym) * ''Vermetus gigas'' Bivona in

Philippi Philippi (; grc-gre, Φίλιπποι, ''Philippoi'') was a major Greek city northwest of the nearby island, Thasos. Its original name was Crenides ( grc-gre, Κρηνῖδες, ''Krenides'' "Fountains") after its establishment by Thasian colon ...

, 1836 * ''Vermetus gigas f. conglobatus'' Monterosato, 1892 * ''Vermetus gigas f. destitutus'' Monterosato, 1892 * ''Vermetus gigas var. angulatus'' Monterosato, 1880 (junior primary homonym) * ''Vermetus gigas var. conglobata'' Monterosato, 1892 (synonym) * ''Vermetus gigas var. destituta'' Monterosato, 1892 (synonym) * ''Vermetus gigas var. minor'' Pallary, 1912 (junior primary homonym, permanently invalid) * ''Vermetus gigas var. rufa'' Monterosato, 1892 (synonym) * ''Vermetus gigas var. typica'' Monterosato, 1892 (synonym) * ''Vermetus horridus'' Monterosato, 1892 * ''Vermetus horridus f. asperrimus'' Monterosato, 1892 * ''Vermetus horridus var. asperrima'' Monterosato, 1892 (synonym) * ''Vermetus horridus var. minor'' Pallary, 1938 (junior primary homonym) * ''Vermetus polyphragma'' (Sasso, 1827) * ''Vermetus polyphragma f. anguinus'' Monterosato, 1892 * ''Vermetus polyphragma f. major'' Monterosato, 1892 * ''Vermetus polyphragma f. tortuosus'' Monterosato, 1892 * ''Vermetus polyphragma var. anguina'' Monterosato, 1892 (synonym) * ''Vermetus polyphragma var. major'' Monterosato, 1892 (synonym) * ''Vermetus polyphragma var. tortuosa'' Monterosato, 1892 (synonym) * ''Vermetus scopulosus'' Monterosato, 1892 * ''Vermetus scopulosus f. discoideus'' Monterosato, 1892 (junior primary homonym) * ''Vermetus selectus'' Monterosato, 1878 * ''Vermetus selectus f. ramosus'' Monterosato, 1892 * ''Vermetus selectus var. arborea'' Monterosato, 1892 (synonym) * ''Vermetus selectus var. ramosa'' Monterosato, 1892 (synonym) * ''Vermetus verrucosus'' Monterosato, 1892 * ''Vermicularia lineolata'' Gravenhorst, 1831 (subjective synonym)

References

* Linnaeus, C. (1758). Systema Naturae per regna tria naturae, secundum classes, ordines, genera, species, cum characteribus, differentiis, synonymis, locis. Editio decima, reformata. Laurentius Salvius: Holmiae. ii, 824 pp Vermetidae Gastropods described in 1758 Taxa named by Carl Linnaeus {{Vermetidae-stub