''Zafra'' is a large
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 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 ...
Columbellidae
The Columbellidae, the dove snails or dove shells, are a family of minute to small sea snails, marine gastropod mollusks in the order Neogastropoda.Bouchet, P.; Gofas, S. (2010). Columbellidae. In: Bouchet, P.; Gofas, S.; Rosenberg, G. (2010) Wo ...
, the dove snails.
[MolluscaBase eds. (2023). MolluscaBase. Zafra A. Adams, 1860. Accessed through: World Register of Marine Species at: https://www.marinespecies.org/aphia.php?p=taxdetails&id=182802 on 22 September 2023]
Description
The shells are typically small. They are elongated and conical, often featuring sculptured patterns of fine ribs or spiral ridges. 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 ...
of the shell is usually narrow and elongated, with a distinct, but short
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 ...
. The shells are often adorned with intricate patterns, including coloration variations.
Distribution
These gastropods are widely distributed in tropical and subtropical seas, inhabiting various marine environments such as rocky shores, sandy bottoms, and coral reefs.
Feeding behavior
Zafra snails are carnivorous predators. They use a specialized proboscis to capture and consume their prey. Once captured, the prey is immobilized, and digestive enzymes are secreted to break down the tissues for ingestion.
Species
, there are about 80 species within the genus ''Zafra'':
* ''
Zafra aequatorialis''
* ''
Zafra alternata''
* ''
Zafra ambonensis''
* ''
Zafra atrata''
* ''
Zafra australensis''
* ''
Zafra babylonica''
* ''
Zafra bilineata''
* ''
Zafra brevissima''
* ''
Zafra brunneastriata''
* ''
Zafra cinnamomea''
* ''
Zafra darwini''
* ''
Zafra debilis''
* ''
Zafra dejugis''
* ''
Zafra digglesi''
* ''
Zafra exilis
''Zafra exilis'' is a small species of sea snail in the family Columbellidae, the dove snails.
Description
The length of the shell attains 5 mm.
Distribution
This species occurs and is endemic in the Red Sea and off Oman, Aden and Djibouti an ...
''
* ''
Zafra farasanensis''
* ''
Zafra fuscolineata''
* ''
Zafra fuscomaculata''
* ''
Zafra geyserensis''
* ''
Zafra gracilenta''
* ''
Zafra hahajimana''
* ''
Zafra hedleyi''
* ''
Zafra hervieri''
* † ''
Zafra impedita''
Laws, 1940
* † ''
Zafra juttingae''
(Oostingh, 1940)
* ''
Zafra kaicherae''
* ''
Zafra kermadecensis''
* ''
Zafra marisrubris''
* ''
Zafra melitoma''
* ''
Zafra microstoma''
* ''
Zafra minuta''
* ''
Zafra mitriformis''
* ''
Zafra morini''
* ''
Zafra niasensis''
* ''
Zafra nukuhiva''
* ''
Zafra obesula''
* ''
Zafra ocellatula''
* † ''
Zafra opihiensis''
Laws, 1933
* ''
Zafra ornata''
* ''
Zafra padangensis''
* ''
Zafra parilis''
* ''
Zafra paulina''
* ''
Zafra phaula''
* ''
Zafra pumila''
* ''
Zafra rapanuiensis''
* ''
Zafra rufopiperata''
* ''
Zafra salutaris''
* ''
Zafra savignyi
''Zafra savignyi'' is a species of sea snail in the family Columbellidae, the dove snails.
Description
The length of the shell attains 4 mm.
Distribution
The species is found in the Suez Canal, Red Sea and the eastern Mediterranean
The M ...
''
* ''
Zafra saviniae''
* ''
Zafra selasphora''
* ''
Zafra semiclatriata''
* ''
Zafra seminulum''
* ''
Zafra smithi''
* ''
Zafra stricosa''
* ''
Zafra subvitrea''
* ''
Zafra succinea''
* ''
Zafra taylorae''
* ''
Zafra townsendi''
* ''
Zafra troglodytes''
* ''
Zafra ulinganensis''
* ''
Zafra vercoi''
* ''
Zafra vexillum''
:Synonyms:
* ''Zafra albomarginata''
Okamoto & Habe, 1979: synonym of ''
Mokumea albomarginata''
(Okamoto & Habe, 1979) (original combination)
* ''Zafra almiranta''
Hedley, 1915: synonym of ''
Zafra darwini''
(Angas, 1877)
* ''Zafra altispira'' : synonym of ''
Smithena altispira''
(Bozzetti, 2008)
* ''Zafra avicennia''
Hedley, 1915: synonym of ''
Zafra pumila''
(Dunker, 1860)
* ''Zafra comistea''
(Melvill, 1906): synonym of ''
Seminella comistea''
(Melvill, 1906)
* ''Zafra minuscula''
(Gould, 1860): synonym of ''
Zafra pumila''
(Dunker, 1860)
* ''Zafra pascua''
Hertlein, 1962: synonym of ''
Nodochila pascua''
(Hertlein, 1962) (original combination)
* ''Zafra paumotensis''
(Tryon, 1883): synonym of ''
Mitropsis paumotensis''
(Tryon, 1883)
* ''Zafra peasei''
(E. von Martens & Langkavel, 1871): synonym of ''
Seminella peasei''
(E. von Martens & Langkavel, 1871) (
superseded combination)
* ''Zafra polita''
G. Nevill & H. Nevill, 1875: synonym of ''
Ascalista polita''
(G. Nevill & H. Nevill, 1875) (original combination)
* ''Zafra pupoidea''
H. Adams, 1872: synonym of ''
Iredalea pupoidea''
(H. Adams, 1872) (superseded combination)
* ''Zafra purpurea''
H. Adams, 1873: synonym of ''
Seminella peasei''
(E. von Martens & Langkavel, 1871) (junior subjective synonym)
* ''Zafra sinensis''
(G. B. Sowerby III, 1894): synonym of ''
Zafra troglodytes''
(Souverbie, 1866)
* ''Zafra validicosta''
Habe, 1960: synonym of ''
Zafra mitriformis''
A. Adams, 1860
* ''Zafra virginea''
(Gould, 1860): synonym of ''
Seminella virginea''
(Gould, 1860)
References
External links
Adams, A. (1860). On some new genera and species of Mollusca from Japan. Annals and Magazine of Natural History. (3) 6: 331–337
Gastropod genera
Taxa named by Arthur Adams (zoologist)
{{Columbellidae-stub