Xenophora

Xenophora
Temporal range: Late Cretaceous–Recent
A ventral view of a shell of Xenophora pallidula, with attached gastropod shells
A lateral view of the same shell
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Mollusca
Class: Gastropoda
Subclass: Caenogastropoda
Order: Littorinimorpha
Family: Xenophoridae
Genus: Xenophora
Fischer von Waldheim, 1807
Species

See text

Synonyms
  • Phorus Montfort, 1810
  • Xenophora (Austrophora) Kreipl, Alf & Kronenberg, 1999· accepted, alternate representation
  • † Xenophora (Endoptygma) Gabb, 1877 · accepted, alternate representation
  • Xenophora (Xenophora) Fischer von Waldheim, 1807· accepted, alternate representation
  • Xenophorus (incorrect subsequent spelling of Xenophora Fischer von Waldheim, 1807)

Xenophora, commonly called carrier shells, is a genus of medium-sized to large sea snails, marine gastropod molluscs in the family Xenophoridae, the carrier snails or carrier shells. The genus Xenophora is the type genus of the family Xenophoridae.

Etymology

The name Xenophora comes from two ancient Greek words, and means "bearing foreigners", so-called because in most species the snail cements pieces of rock or shells to its own shell at regular intervals as the shell grows.

Description

The shells of species within this genus vary from small to large (diameter of base without attachments 19–90 mm; height of shell 21–60 mm), depressed-conical, with narrow to very narrow, simple peripheral edge, non-porcellanous ventrally. Foreign objects are attached to all whorls, with generally more than 30% of dorsal surface obscured by these objects. The foreign objects are usually medium-sized to large. Although the foreign objects are usually mollusk shells, pebbles, or small pieces of coral rock, in some instances a bottle cap has been attached by the snail to its shell.

Species

The genus Xenophora includes the following species and subspecies:

Subgenus Xenophora (Austrophora) Kreipl, Alf & Kronenberg, 1999
Subgenus Xenophora (Xenophora) Fischer von Waldheim, 1807
Species brought into synonymy

Extinct species

A view of the fossil shell of Xenophora infundibulum

Extinct species within this genus include:

Fossil record

Fossils of Xenophora are found in marine strata from the Cretaceous to Quaternary (age range: from 89.3 to 0.012 million years ago.). Fossils are known all over the world.

See also

References

  1. ↑ Fischer von Waldheim, Gotthelf (1807). Muséum Demidoff, ou catalogue systématique et raisonné des curiosités de la nature et de l'art. Vol. 3: Végétaux et animaux. p. 213.
  2. ↑ WoRMS (2012). Xenophora. Accessed through: World Register of Marine Species at http://www.marinespecies.org/aphia.php?p=taxdetails&id=138664 Archived 2012-11-04 at the Wayback Machine on 2012-06-28
  3. ↑ Xenophora.org website accessed 24 April 2014
  4. 1 2 Kreipl, K. & Alf, A. (1999): Recent Xenophoridae. 148 pp. incl. 28 color plts. ConchBooks, Hackenheim, ISBN 3-925919-26-0.
  5. ↑ Powell A. W. B. (1979). New Zealand Mollusca, William Collins Publishers Ltd, Auckland, New Zealand. ISBN 0-00-216906-1
  6. ↑ "OBIS Indo-Pacific Molluscan Database". Archived from the original on 2011-10-02. Retrieved 2009-08-31.
  7. 1 2 Paleobiology Database Archived 2025-01-22 at the Wayback Machine
  8. ↑ Stromboidea
  9. ↑ G. Manganelli, V. Spadini, S. Cianfanelli The xenophorid gastropods of the Mediterranean Pliocene: the record of the Siena Basin