Triton (gastropod)

Charonia variegata, Crete, Greece ( Mediterranean)

The conches ( Charonia ) are a genus of snail from the family of Triton snails, which is represented in all tropical regions of the oceans. All three currently accepted species are very large and live echinoderms.

Features

The dextral body of the conches are trochospiral, so not in a plane but rolled up in three dimensions. The thread is ogive- shaped, the Gewindeumgänge convex, the body dealing with bellies takes more than half the body length a. The aperture is ovate, folded edges of the mouth. The front end is come out in a very short Siphonalkanal. The shells typically have a creamy white color with brown crescent-shaped spots. The operculum is ovate.

The screws are brownish red to yellow or whitish with a reddish-brown spot pattern. The sensors are usually bright yellow and have two black striping.

All conches are dioecious. The females lay from numerous egg capsules, which may contain several thousand eggs. There is no Nähreier. The veliger larvae go through several months of pelagic phase, so that all three species have a large distribution area.

The conches feed on echinoderms, especially starfish. In addition, mollusks and crabs are captured. The salivary glands produce free sulfuric acid, which paralyzed with the prey and their calcareous skeleton is softened.

Endangering

All conches are collected because of their impressive housing, so that man can be regarded as a major enemy. The populations of both species in the Mediterranean are protected under the Federal Species Protection Ordinance (Appendix 1) and the Bern Convention. Based on the worldwide threat however, they are not listed in the Red List.

System

According WoRMS three described species are currently recognized as such: the living Indo-Pacific conch ( Charonia tritonis ), the Atlantic Triton snail ( Charonia variegata ) in the Atlantic and Mediterranean and the node -bearing Triton snail ( Charonia lampas ) in the Atlantic and Mediterranean, as well as with smaller deposits in the Pacific.

Total of at least 15 Charonia species have been described, which are now regarded as synonyms in the majority or subspecies. Type species is Charonia tritonis described by Linnaeus as Murex tritonis. Synonyms of the genus name, which is found more frequently in older literature, among other Triton Montfort, 1810 and Tritonium Röding, 1798.

Atlantic Triton snail ( Charonia variegata )

Node -bearing Triton snail ( Charonia lampas )