Shell features associated with the sand-burying habit in gastropods

Vermeij, Geerat J.

doi:10.1093/mollus/eyx001

Cited by 19 publications

(20 citation statements)

References 24 publications

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“…) of primarily surface‐dwelling gastropods. Only the monophyletic family Cerithiidae contains actively infaunal species, which belong to three distinct taxa: the Rhinoclavis group of genera as defined by Houbrick (), known from the Early Paleocene to the Recent; the living Indo‐West Pacific Cerithium salebrosum Sowerby; and the Recent eastern Pacific Thericium nicaraguense (Pilsbry & Lowe) (Signor , ; Vermeij & Zipser ; Savazzi ; Sälgeback & Savazzi ; Vermeij ). All have a long, upturned siphonal canal, a flat‐sided high spire and, in many members of the Rhinoclavis group and in C. salebrosum, a terraced spiral shell sculpture.…”

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Inferences of the actively infaunal habit in fossil gastropods were based on direct observations on the habits and morphology of living species as documented by Vermeij (). I applied criteria for sand‐burial to fossil representatives by examining specimens at the Naturalis Biodiversity Center, Leiden, and the University of California Museum of Paleontology, Berkeley.…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 93%

“…In order to document the frequency of species of sand‐burrowing gastropods relative to the total assemblage of shell‐bearing molluscs in Recent faunas, I tabulated the life habits of all species in my large collection from shallow‐water sites (1–5 m in depth) that my students and I intensively sampled. Life habits were in most cases observed by me personally during daylight hours (see Vermeij ).…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Burrowing‐related adaptations and characteristics of gastropods include: a shell with smooth surface or low‐relief sculpture; terraced sutures and ridges whose leading edges are less steep than their trailing edges; a narrowly elongate or fusiform shell with gently rounded flanks and smoothly tapering posterior end and lacking angulations; for disc‐shaped species, a sharp peripheral keel separating a flattened base from a gently rounded upper surface and low spire; a siphonal canal, if present, dorsally or obliquely upturned and not axially elongated; an umbilicus facing the direction of burial filled with a callus deposit or by an extension of the inner lip; in species with a large digging foot, a wide callus pad situated adjacent to the aperture on the shell's ventral side, or the whole shell enveloped by extensions of the foot; periostracum thin or absent; and bioeroders and epibionts absent or, if present, confined to the shell's upper side (Trueman & Brown ; Vermeij ). Of these criteria, only terracing is unique to sand‐buriers (Fig.…”

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confidence: 99%

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Life in the arena: infaunal gastropods and the late Phanerozoic expansion of marine ecosystems into sand

Vermeij

2017

Palaeontology

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Marine ecosystems have expanded into the infaunal realm below the surface of soft sediments throughout the Phanerozoic eon. During the Palaeozoic era, this expansion largely involved sedentary animals living in permanent resting places. Active sand-burrowing animals colonized the infaunal environment later, but when this happened and when specialization for infaunal life evolved remain open questions. Here, phylogenetic evidence, fossil occurrences and previously established criteria for recognizing the sand-burrowing habit in marine gastropods are used to determine how many gastropod clades became infaunal and when the transitions from surface-dwelling to infaunal life occurred. At least 20, and as many as 35, clades (all but one of post-Palaeozoic age) contain actively infaunal species.The overwhelming majority (15 of 20 clades) became infaunal during the Cenozoic, and clades with hundreds of infaunal species in the living fauna diversified beginning in the Early Miocene. The repeated evolution of, and specialization to, the sand-burrowing habit by gastropods and other animals was enabled by increased habitat availability and higher marine productivity, and was necessitated by intensifying predation. As a result, the infaunal realm was transformed from a marine refuge to an integrated part of the marine biosphere in which high performance in locomotion and defence has become the norm.

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Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 93%

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

mentioning

confidence: 99%

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Life in the arena: infaunal gastropods and the late Phanerozoic expansion of marine ecosystems into sand

Vermeij

2017

Palaeontology

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“…The characteristic size of the shell of M. annulus at Hutumuri station was relatively smaller than the shell size at the other stations. This might be caused by the adaptation to the sandy substrate environment (Sälgeback and Esavazzi 2006;Vermeij 2017;Yamamori and Kato 2018). The relatively small body size of the M. annulus living in the sandy substrate is probably helped the M. annulus for camouflage and survives from the predators or humans.…”

Section: Density Of Monetaria Annulusmentioning

confidence: 99%

Species density and shell morphology of gold ring cowry (Monetaria annulus, Linnaeus, 1758) (Mollusca: Gastropoda: Cypraeidae) in the coastal waters of Ambon Island, Indonesia

Latupeirissa

Leiwakabessy

2020

Biodiversitas

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Abstract. Latupeirissa LN, Leiwakabessy F, Rumahlatu D. 2020. Species density and shell morphology of gold ring cowry (Monetaria annulus, Linnaeus, 1758) (Mollusca: Gastropoda: Cypraeidae) in the coastal waters of Ambon Island, Indonesia. Biodiversitas 21: 1391-1400. The purpose of this research was to examine environmental factors, species density, and the shell morphology of Monetaria annulus. The samples were collected by using the line transect method at 6 research stations. The data of the environmental factors (temperature, salinity, and pH of seawater) as well as species density of M. annulus were collected with in-situ technique, while the shell morphology of M. annulus was measured at Laboratory of the Deep-Sea Research Center, Indonesian Institute of Sciences (LIPI) Ambon. The results of the measurements of the environmental factors in the coastal waters of Ambon Island showed some fluctuations in the measurement values. The seawater temperature ranged between 29.78-30.05 ºC, the salinity of seawater ranged from 32.12-32.33‰, and the pH of the seawater ranged from 8.34-8.49. The density of M. annulus at the research stations from the highest to the lowest was at Tanjung Tiram station, Suli station, Seri station, Hutumuri station, Halong station, and Latuhalat station (0.27 > 0.24 > 0.23 > 0.19 > 0.14 > 0.12 ind/m2). The results of the measurement of the shell morphology showed many variations in the size and shape of the shell of M. annulus with a total number (N) of 294 individuals. The length, the width, and the height of the shell, the length of the blotches, the width of the blotches, and the total weight of M. annulus from each research station were significantly different (p<0.005). These results indicate that the differences in the shell morphology of M. annulus at each research station were influenced by waves, the strength of the currents sea waves, and the different substrate of water. In addition, the variation of shell morphology can be a reason for characterization in the taxonomy of the Cypraeidae family.

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Imbricated shell sculpture in benthic bivalves

Vermeij

Thomson

2023

Journal of Morphology

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Molluscan shells display a high diversity of external sculpture. Sculptural elements may be symmetrical, where both edges of an element are morphologically similar, or asymmetrical, where one edge is steeper than the other. Asymmetrical sculpture can be ratcheted, with the leading edges (those in the direction of locomotion or growth) less steep than the trailing edges, or imbricated (leading edges steeper than trailing edges). While the ratcheted sculpture is better known, the diversity of imbricated sculpture has remained largely unexplored. In a survey of extant benthic shellbearing molluscs, we document imbricated sculpture primarily in epifaunal bivalves or on the exposed sectors of shells of semi-infaunal bivalves. Imbricated sculpture is particularly widespread in pteriomorphian bivalves, but it is absent in the subclade Mytiloidea as well as in highly mobile Pectinidae. It also occurs in many carditid bivalves (Archiheterodonta) and in phylogenetically scattered euheterodonts. In several infaunal bivalves including species of Cardites (Carditidae), Hecuba (Donacidae), and Chione (Veneridae), comarginal elements on the posterior sector are imbricated whereas anterior comarginal ridges are ratcheted. Imbricated sculpture in bivalves tends to be concentrated on the upper (left) valves of pectinids or on the posterior sector of both valves in archiheterodonts and euheterodonts.Imbricated sculpture is uncommon in gastropods, even in epifaunal species, but does occur in the collabral ridges in some Vasidae and a few other groups. Expression of imbricated sculpture does not depend on shell mineral composition or microstructure. The ecological distribution and within-shell pattern of expression of imbricated sculpture point to the likelihood that this type of asymmetrical sculpture is both widespread and potentially functional. Additionally, we present a potential methodology whereby shell sculpture categories (symmetrical, ratcheted, and imbricated) may be quantified by comparing the lengths of corresponding leading and trailing edges across the shell surface.

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Shell features associated with the sand-burying habit in gastropods

Cited by 19 publications

References 24 publications

Life in the arena: infaunal gastropods and the late Phanerozoic expansion of marine ecosystems into sand

Life in the arena: infaunal gastropods and the late Phanerozoic expansion of marine ecosystems into sand

Species density and shell morphology of gold ring cowry (Monetaria annulus, Linnaeus, 1758) (Mollusca: Gastropoda: Cypraeidae) in the coastal waters of Ambon Island, Indonesia

Imbricated shell sculpture in benthic bivalves

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