''Xenophora crispa'', the Mediterranean Carrier Shell, is a

species In biology, a species is the basic unit of Taxonomy (biology), 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 ...

of large sea snail, a marine gastropod

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 es ...

in the

family Family (from la, familia) is a group of people related either by consanguinity (by recognized birth) or affinity (by marriage or other relationship). The purpose of the family is to maintain the well-being of its members and of society. Idea ...

Xenophoridae Xenophoridae, common name, commonly called carrier shells, is a family (biology), family of medium-sized to large sea snails, marine (ocean), marine gastropod mollusks in the clade Littorinimorpha. According to the Taxonomy of the Gastropoda (B ...

, the carrier shells. Xenophoridae - Xenophora crispa

Fossil record

There are currently 16 known species in the genus, Xenophora. Fossils of ''Xenophora crispa'' are found in marine strata of

Pliocene The Pliocene ( ; also Pleiocene) is the epoch in the geologic time scale that extends from 5.333 million to 2.58Mediterranean Sea The Mediterranean Sea is a sea connected to the Atlantic Ocean, surrounded by the Mediterranean Basin and almost completely enclosed by land: on the north by Western and Southern Europe and Anatolia, on the south by North Africa, and on the ...

and off

West Africa West Africa or Western Africa is the westernmost region of Africa. The United Nations defines Western Africa as the 16 countries of Benin, Burkina Faso, Cape Verde, The Gambia, Ghana, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Ivory Coast, Liberia, Mali, Mau ...

Angola , national_anthem = "Angola Avante"() , image_map = , map_caption = , capital = Luanda , religion = , religion_year = 2020 , religion_ref = , coordina ...

.Paolo Mariottini, Carlo Smriglio, Pierluigi Bomb
REVISION OF THE MEDITERRANEAN CARRIER SHELL: THE XENOPHORA MEDITERRANEACOMPLEX (MOLLUSCA, GASTROPODA: XENOPHORIDAE)
/ref> This species is often found on continental shelves and slopes. They are mostly found in benthic zones, the bottom of the body of water. They are found in subtropical waters (temperature range: from 10 degrees Celsius to 24 degrees Celsius). Found in the bibliography (on the EOL site) you can find a map that shows the global distribution of the 16 species that make up the genus ''Xenophora''.

Diet

All species in the genus ''Xenophora'' are detritivores (and heterotrophic, meaning they do not produce their own food). Detritivores feed on dead organic material, most commonly plant detritus. All detritivores are important in their ecosystems because they cycle nutrients in the carbon, nitrogen, and phosphorus cycle.

Life Stages

This species start as embryos and then develop into planktonic trochophore larvae which are small, clear, free-swimming larvae. Their swimming is enabled by a prototroch (a sensory plate). After the larvae stage they go into their dominant larvae phase, juvenile veligers. Later, they become a full grown adult.

Movement

Similarly to other gastropods, ''Xenophora crispa'' move across the seafloor using locomotion. They do this using their singular anterior foot.

Reproduction

''Xenophora crispa'' are gonochoric which means they have two sexes, male and female. They spawn using the method of broadcast spawning, releasing egg and sperm into the water and then fertilization occurs.

Bibliography

* * “Critter of the Week: Xenophora (Xenophora) Neozelanica Neozelanica - the Shell Collector.” ''NIWA'', 17 Feb. 2021, https://niwa.co.nz/blogs/critteroftheweek/164. * Editors, By: BD, et al. “Detritivore - Definition, Function and Examples.” ''Biology Dictionary'', 27 Mar. 2019, https://biologydictionary.net/detritivore/. * ''Pliocene Quick Guide'', https://www.esd.ornl.gov/projects/qen/pliocene.html. * Ponder W.F. (1983). A revision of the Recent Xenophoridae of the World and of the Australian Fossil Species (Mollusca : Gastropoda). Memoir 17. The Australian Museum Sydney, Australia. * Rafferty, John. “Trochophore.” ''Encyclopædia Britannica'', Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc., https://www.britannica.com/science/trochophore. * Rafferty, John. “Trochophore.” ''Encyclopædia Britannica'', Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc., https://www.britannica.com/science/trochophore. * Ramalhosa, Patricio. “First Record of the Marine Snail Xenophora Crispa (Gastropoda: Xenophoridae) from Madeira Island (Northeastern Atlantic Ocean): First Record of Xenophora Crispa from Madeira Island.” ''Arquipelago - Life and Marine Sciences'', 2022, https://revistas.rcaap.pt/arquipelago/article/view/25458. * “Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History.” ''Invertebrate Zoology Collections Search'', https://collections.nmnh.si.edu/search/iz/?ark=ark%3A%2F65665%2F30cfcb5ea7abe416eb2f6f792633f7b20. * * * “Xenophora Crispa (König, 1825).” ''Xenophora Crispa, Curly Carrier Shell'', https://www.sealifebase.ca/summary/Xenophora-crispa.html. * “Xenophora Pallidula (Reeve, 1842).” ''Xenophora Pallidula, Pallid Carrier-Shell'', https://www.sealifebase.ca/summary/Xenophora-pallidula.html. * “Xenophora.” ''EOL'', https://eol.org/pages/53299. * “Xenophora.” ''Zymoglyphic Museum'', http://www.zymoglyphic.org/exhibits/xenophora.html.

References

* Gofas, S.; Le Renard, J.; Bouchet, P. (2001). Mollusca. in: Costello, M.J. et al. (eds), ''European Register of Marine Species: a check-list of the marine species in Europe and a bibliography of guides to their identification''. Patrimoines Naturels. 50: 180-213.

External links

Gastropoda Stromboidea
* Xenophoridae Gastropods described in 1983 {{Xenophoridae-stub