Naticidae,

common name In biology, a common name of a taxon or organism (also known as a vernacular name, English name, colloquial name, country name, popular name, or farmer's name) is a name that is based on the normal language of everyday life; and is often contrast ...

moon snails or necklace shells, is a

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 ...

of medium to large-sized predatory

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 ...

mollusc 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 est ...

s in the

clade A clade (), also known as a monophyletic group or natural group, is a group of organisms that are monophyletic – that is, composed of a common ancestor and all its lineal descendants – on a phylogenetic tree. Rather than the English ter ...

Littorinimorpha Littorinimorpha is a large order of snails, gastropods, consisting primarily of sea snails (marine species), but also including some freshwater snails ( aquatic species) and land snails ( terrestrial species).Bouchet P. & Rocroi J.-P. (Ed.); Frý ...

. The shells of the species in this family are mostly globular in shape. Naticidae is the only family in the superfamily Naticoidea. It has been estimated that worldwide there are about 260–270

recent The Holocene ( ) is the current geological epoch. It began approximately 11,650 cal years Before Present (), after the Last Glacial Period, which concluded with the Holocene glacial retreat. The Holocene and the preceding Pleistocene togethe ...

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 appropriat ...

of naticid snails. This group is assumed to have originated in the late

Triassic The Triassic ( ) is a geologic period and system which spans 50.6 million years from the end of the Permian Period 251.902 million years ago ( Mya), to the beginning of the Jurassic Period 201.36 Mya. The Triassic is the first and shortest per ...

or in the early

Jurassic The Jurassic ( ) is a geologic period and stratigraphic system that spanned from the end of the Triassic Period million years ago (Mya) to the beginning of the Cretaceous Period, approximately Mya. The Jurassic constitutes the middle period of ...

. Members of this family can be recognized by the shape of their shells, distinct appearance, or by their predatory behavior.

Distribution

Naticids are widely distributed and occur worldwide. The greatest diversity of both species and genera is found in tropical regions. Even so, naticid snails are also plentiful in temperate,

Arctic The Arctic ( or ) is a polar regions of Earth, polar region located at the northernmost part of Earth. The Arctic consists of the Arctic Ocean, adjacent seas, and parts of Canada (Yukon, Northwest Territories, Nunavut), Danish Realm (Greenla ...

and

Antarctic The Antarctic ( or , American English also or ; commonly ) is a polar region around Earth's South Pole, opposite the Arctic region around the North Pole. The Antarctic comprises the continent of Antarctica, the Kerguelen Plateau and othe ...

waters.

Habitat

Moon snails live on sandy substrates, at a great variety of depths depending on the species (from the

intertidal zone The intertidal zone, also known as the foreshore, is the area above water level at low tide and underwater at high tide (in other words, the area within the tidal range). This area can include several types of habitats with various species ...

to thousands of meters in depth). They are often seen ploughing along in the sand, searching for bivalvic and other prey, resulting in countersunk bore-holes. Divaricella quadrisulcata showing Naticid predation holes

Divaricella quadrisulcata showing Naticid predation holes

Life habits

Naticarius millepunctatus Pliocene Cyprus

Naticids are predatory, feeding mostly on

bivalve Bivalvia (), in previous centuries referred to as the Lamellibranchiata and Pelecypoda, is a class (biology), class of marine and freshwater Mollusca, molluscs that have laterally compressed bodies enclosed by a shell consisting of two hing ...

s. They will also attack almost any other shelled mollusk they encounter in the sand, such as scaphopods and other

s, including other moon snails. Additionally, ''

Conuber sordidum ''Conuber sordidum'' (originally described as ''Natica sordida'' by Swainson) is a species of predatory sea snail, a marine gastropod mollusk family Naticidae, the moon snails.Swainson, W. (1820-1821) Zoological Illustrations, or original ...

'' was shown to prey on the soldier crab ''

Mictyris longicarpus ''Mictyris longicarpus'', the light-blue soldier crab, is a species of crab that lives on sandy beaches from the Bay of Bengal to Australia; with other members of the genus '' Mictyris'', it is "one of the most loved crabs in Australia". Adul ...

'' (

Crustacea Crustaceans (Crustacea, ) form a large, diverse arthropod taxon which includes such animals as decapods, seed shrimp, branchiopods, fish lice, krill, remipedes, isopods, barnacles, copepods, amphipods and mantis shrimp. The crustacean group c ...

) by drilling predation.Huelsken, T. (2011) First evidence of drilling predation by Conuber sordidus (Swainson, 1821) (Gastropoda: Naticidae) on soldier crabs (Crustacea: Mictyridae). Molluscan Research, 31(2), 125-131

/ref> To catch soldier crabs, ''C. sordidum'' uses the same behaviour as when hunting shelled molluscan prey. The moon snail envelops the prey and then bores a hole through the shell using its

radula The radula (, ; plural radulae or radulas) is an anatomical structure used by molluscs for feeding, sometimes compared to a tongue. It is a minutely toothed, chitinous ribbon, which is typically used for scraping or cutting food before the food ...

and an

acid In computer science, ACID ( atomicity, consistency, isolation, durability) is a set of properties of database transactions intended to guarantee data validity despite errors, power failures, and other mishaps. In the context of databases, a se ...

secretion. Once the shell is bored open, the

proboscis A proboscis () is an elongated appendage from the head of an animal, either a vertebrate or an invertebrate. In invertebrates, the term usually refers to tubular mouthparts used for feeding and sucking. In vertebrates, a proboscis is an elong ...

is used to consume the flesh of the prey. The hole in the shell, which has a " countersunk" appearance with

chamfer A chamfer or is a transitional edge between two faces of an object. Sometimes defined as a form of bevel, it is often created at a 45° angle between two adjoining right-angled faces. Chamfers are frequently used in machining, carpentry, ...

ed edges, and which varies in size according to the species, is a characteristic diagnostic sign of moon snail predation. In the breeding season, the female moon snail lays a rather stiff egg mass which includes sand and mucus. These objects wash up on sandy beaches fairly often, and are known by the

" sand collars" because of their resemblance to an old-fashioned removable shirt collar or

false-collar A detachable collar is a shirt collar separate from the shirt, fastened to it by studs. The collar is usually made of a different fabric from the shirt, in which case it is almost always white, and, being unattached to the shirt, can be starche ...

Human Interaction

Korean cuisine Korean cuisine has evolved through centuries of social and political change. Originating from ancient agricultural and nomadic traditions in Korea and southern Manchuria, Korean cuisine reflects a complex interaction of the natural envi ...

, moon snails are called ''golbaengi'' () and eaten as '' golbaengi-muchim'' (moon snail salad). * Moon snail shells are attractive and relatively large, and often popular in jewellery and ornamentation.

Taxonomy

Traditional classification

Some authors have suggested a distinct separation of the Naticidae into four subfamilies: Ampullospirinae, Naticinae, Polinicinae and Sininae. This arrangement is mainly based on morphological data, such as details of the operculum including the material (

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 ad ...

in the Naticinae,

corneous Corneous is a biological and medical term meaning horny, in other words made out of a substance similar to that of horns and hooves in some mammals. The word is generally used to describe natural or pathological anatomical structures made out ...

in the Polinicinae and Sininae) and size, and also the morphology of the shell.Marincovich L.N. 1977. ''

Cenozoic The Cenozoic ( ; ) is Earth's current geological era, representing the last 66million years of Earth's history. It is characterised by the dominance of mammals, birds and flowering plants, a cooling and drying climate, and the current configu ...

Naticidae (Mollusca: Gastropoda) of the Northeastern Pacific''.

Bulletins of American Paleontology ''Bulletins of American Paleontology'' is a peer-reviewed scientific journal published by the Paleontological Research Institution and issued biannually that features monographs and dissertations in the field of paleontology and other related subj ...

, 70, 169-212.

2005 taxonomy

The following four subfamilies were recognized in the taxonomy of Bouchet & Rocroi (2005): * Naticinae Guilding, 1834 - synonyms: Neveritinae Gray, 1857; Choristidae Verrill, 1882; Euspiridae Cossmann, 1907; Mammillinae Iredale & McMichael, 1962; Eunaticinini Oyama, 1469 * Sininae Woodring, 1928 - synonyms: Sigaretidae Gary, 1827; Cryptostomidae Gray, 1827 * Globisininae Powell, 1933 * Polinicinae Gray, 1847

Genera

Genera in the family Naticidae include: Unassigned to a subfamily: * '' Haliotinella'' Souverbie, 1875 * '' Microlinices'' Simone, 2014 subfamily Naticinae * ''

Cochlis ''Cochlis'' is a genus of predatory sea snails, marine gastropod mollusks in the subfamily Naticinae of the family Naticidae, the moon snails.MolluscaBase eds. (2021). MolluscaBase. Cochlis Röding, 1798. Accessed through: World Register ...

'' Röding, 1798 * '' Cryptonatica'' Dall, 1892 * ''Lunaia'' Berry, 1964: synonym of ''Natica'' Scopoli, 1777 * '' Natica'' Scopoli, 1777 * '' Naticarius'' Duméril, 1806Huelsken, T., Wägele, H., Peters, B., Mather, A., Hollmann, M. (2011) Molecular analysis of adults and egg masses reveals two independent lineages within the infaunal gastropod ''Naticarius onca'' (Röding, 1798) (Caenogastropoda: Naticidae). Molluscan Research, 31(3), 141-151
PDF
/ref> * '' Notocochlis'' Powell, 1933 * '' Paratectonatica'' Azuma, 1961 * '' Proxiuber'' Powell, 1933 * '' Stigmaulax'' Mörch, 1852 * '' Tanea''

Marwick Marwick is a Scottish surname, that may refer to: *Arthur Marwick (1936–2006), Scottish historian *Ernest Marwick (1915–1977), Scottish writer *Hugh Marwick (1885–1965), Scottish scholar *James Marwick (born 1862), founder of accountancy p ...

, 1931 * † '' Taniella'' Finlay & Marwick, 1937 * '' Tasmatica'' Finlay & Marwick, 1937 * '' Tectonatica'' Sacco, 1890 subfamily Globisininae * ''

Falsilunatia ''Falsilunatia'' is a genus of sea snails, marine gastropod molluscs in the subfamily Globisininae of the family Naticidae, which are known as moon snails or moon shells. MolluscaBase eds. (2020). MolluscaBase. Falsilunatia Powell, 1951. Ac ...

'' Powell, 1951 * '' Globisinum''

, 1924 subfamily Polinicinae Gray, 1847 * '' Amauropsis'' Mörch, 1857 * '' Bulbus'' Brown, 1839 * '' Conuber'' Finlay & Marwick, 1937 * '' Euspira'' Agassiz in Sowerby, 1838 * '' Friginatica'' Hedley, 1916 * '' Glossaulax'' Pilsbry, 1929 * '' Hypterita'' Woodring, 1957 * '' Kerguelenatica'' Powell, 1951 * '' Laguncula'' Benson, 1842 * '' Lunatia'' Gray, 1847 * '' Mammilla'' Schumacher, 1817 * '' Neverita'' Risso, 1826 - its subgenus or synonym includes '' Glossaulax'' Pilsbry, 1929 Majima, R. 1989. Cenozoic fossil Naticidae (Mollusca: Gastropoda) in Japan. Bulletins of American Paleontology, 96 (331), 1-159.Huelsken T. et al. 2006
''Neverita delessertiana (Recluz in Chenu, 1843): a naticid species (Gastropoda: Caenogastropoda) distinct from Neverita duplicata (Say, 1822) based on molecular data, morphological characters, and geographical distribution''

Zootaxa ''Zootaxa'' is a peer-reviewed scientific mega journal for animal taxonomists. It is published by Magnolia Press (Auckland, New Zealand). The journal was established by Zhi-Qiang Zhang in 2001 and new issues are published multiple times a wee ...

, 1257:1-25. * ''

Polinices ''Polinices'' is a genus of predatory sea snails, marine gastropod molluscs in the subfamily Polinicinae of the family Naticidae, commonly known as moon snails.Bouchet, P. (2011). Polinices Montfort, 1810. Accessed through: World Register ...

'' Montfort, 1810 Huelsken, T., Tapken, D., Dahlmann, T., Wägele, H., Riginos, C., Hollmann, M. (2012). Systematics and phylogenetic species delimitation within Polinices s.l. (Caenogastropoda: Naticidae) based on molecular data and shell morphology. Organisms Diversity & Evolution. DOI
10.1007/s13127-012-0111-5
* '' Pseudopolinices'' Golikov & Sirenko, 1983 * '' Sinuber'' Powell, 1951 * '' Uberella''

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, 1928 subfamily Sininae * '' Calinaticina'' J. Q. Burch & Campbell, 1963 * '' Eunaticina'' Fischer, 1885 * '' Gennaeosinum'' Iredale, 1929 * ''

Payraudeautia ''Payraudeautia'' is a genus of predatory sea snails, marine gastropod mollusks in the family Naticidae, the moon snails. Species Species within the genus ''Payraudeautia'' include: * '' Payraudeautia esterias'' P. Bernard, 1983 * '' ...

'' Bucquoy, Dautzenberg & Dollfus, 1883 * '' Sigatica'' Meyer and Aldrich, 1886 * '' Sinum'' Röding, 1798 subfamily ? * ''Acrybia'' Adams, 1853: synonym of ''Bulbus'' T. Brown, 1839 * '' Gyrodes'' Conrad, 1860 * '' Spironema'' Meek, 1864Siemers C. T. & King N. R. (1974). "Macroinvertebrate paleoecology of a transgressive marine sandstone, Cliff House Sandstone (Upper Cretaceous), Chaco Canyon, northwestern New Mexico
PDF
Image:Mammilla melanostoma (1).JPG, '' Mammilla melanostoma'' Image:Euspira lewisii 3.jpg, '' Neverita lewisii'' Image:Tanea undulata (Moon Snail).jpg, '' Tanea undulata'' Image:Tectonatica violacea.JPG, '' Tectonatica violacea'' Image:Crommium willemeti 01.JPG, '' Crommium willemeti'' Image:Eunaticina nitida 003.jpg, '' Eunaticina nitida'' Image:Euspira nitida-Nl.jpg, '' Euspira nitida'' Image:Globularia sigaretina 01.JPG, '' Globularia sigaretina'' Image:Mammilla sebae 01.JPG, '' Mammilla sebae'' Image:Natica hebraea 01.JPG, '' Natica hebraea'' Image:Naticarius onca 01.JPG, ''

Naticarius onca ''Naticarius onca'' is a species of predatory sea snail, a marine gastropod mollusk in the family Naticidae, the moon snails.Huelsken, T., Wägele, H., Peters, B., Mather, A., Hollmann, M. (2011) Molecular analysis of adults and egg masse ...

'' Image:Neverita josephinia 01.JPG, '' Neverita josephinia'' Image:Notocochlis tigrina 02.JPG, '' Notocochlis tigrina'' Image:Polinices tumidus 01.JPG, ''

Polinices mammilla ''Polinices mammilla'' is a species of predatory sea snail, a marine gastropod mollusk in the family Naticidae, the moon snails.Huelsken, T., Tapken, D., Dahlmann, T., Wägele, H., Riginos, C., Hollmann, M. (2012). Systematics and phylogen ...

'' Image:Sinum cymba 01.JPG, '' Sinum cymba'' Image:Tasmatica schoutanica 001.jpg, '' Tasmatica schoutanica''

References

External links

CLEMAM - Taxonomic Database on European Marine Mollusca
of the

Muséum National d'Histoire Naturelle The French National Museum of Natural History, known in French as the ' (abbreviation MNHN), is the national natural history museum of France and a ' of higher education part of Sorbonne Universities. The main museum, with four galleries, is loc ...

and the Department of Systematics & Evolution,

Paris Paris () is the capital and most populous city of France, with an estimated population of 2,165,423 residents in 2019 in an area of more than 105 km² (41 sq mi), making it the 30th most densely populated city in the world in 2020. Si ...

.
The Naticidae of Giglio Island
at Morphobank - Homology of phenotypes over the web
Malacolog 4.1.0
- A Database of Western Atlantic Marine Mollusca *
Naturamediterraneo
- Mediterranean fauna and flora
Publications and sequences
of the Naticidae submitted to the NCBI
Miocene Gastropods and Biostratigraphy of the Kern River Area, California; United States Geological Survey Professional Paper 642
{{Taxonbar, from=Q1563463 Articles containing video clips Gastropod families