Turbinidae


Turbinidae, the turban snails, are a family of small to large marine gastropod molluscs in the superfamily Trochoidea.

Description

Turbinidae have a strong, thick calcareous operculum readily distinguishing them from the somewhat similar Trochidae or top snails, which have a corneous operculum. This strong operculum serves as a passive defensive structure against predators that try to enter by way of the aperture or that would break the shell at the outer lip. These operculum are rounded ovals that are flat with a swirl design on one side and domed on the other. They are known as Pacific cat's eye or Shiva eye shells or mermaid money, and are used for decorative purposes.

Etymology

The common name turban snail presumably refers to the shell's similarity in appearance to a turban. However, the scientific name Turbinidae is based on the genus name Turbo, which is Latin for spinning top, a child's toy. The word turbine has a similar derivation.

Taxonomy

Previously they were classified in the subclass Prosobranchia, in the order Archaeogastropoda in the superfamily Trochacea. Trochaecea is now a synonym for the superfamily Trochoidea. However, this is a quite ancient group of gastropods, probably originating in the Permian period 298 to 250 million years ago. They have typical primitive characters like the nacreous interior of the shell.

2005 taxonomy

Turbinidae belongs to superfamily Turbinoidea according to the taxonomy of the Gastropoda by Bouchet & Rocroi, 2005).
This family consists of eight following subfamilies :
  • Turbininae Rafinesque, 1815 - synonyms: Senectinae Swainson, 1840; Imperatorinae Gray, 1847; Astraliinae H. Adams & A. Adams, 1854; Astraeinae Davies, 1935; Bolmidae Delpey, 1941
  • Angariinae Gray, 1857 - synonym: Delphinulinae Stoliczka, 1868
  • Colloniinae Cossmann, 1917
  • * tribe Colloniini Cossmann, 1917 - synonym: Bothropomatinae Thiele, 1924 ; Homalopomatinae Keen, 1960; Petropomatinae Cox, 1960
  • * tribe † Adeorbisinini Monari, Conti & szabo, 1995
  • * tribe † Crossostomatini Cox, 1960
  • * tribe † Helicocryptini Cox, 1960
  • Moellerinae Hickman & McLean, 1990
  • † Moreanellinae J. C. Fischer & Weber, 1997
  • Prisogasterinae Hickman & McLean, 1990 - synonym: "Prisogastrinae" in Bouchet & Rocroi is a spelling error.
  • Skeneinae W. Clark, 1851 - synonym: Delphinoideinae Thiele, 1924
  • Tegulinae Kuroda, Habe & Oyama, 1971

2008 taxonomy

Turbinidae was redefined and moved to the redefined superfamily Trochoidea according to Williams et al. : Angariidae was elevated to family level, Colloniinae was elevated to family Colloniidae within Phasianelloidea, Margaritinae was moved to Turbinidae from Trochidae.
This family consists of five following subfamilies according to Williams et al. :
  • Turbininae Rafinesque, 1815 - synonyms: Senectinae Swainson, 1840; Imperatorinae Gray, 1847; Astraliinae H. Adams & A. Adams, 1854; Astraeinae Davies, 1935; Bolmidae Delpey, 1941
  • Skeneinae W. Clark, 1851 - synonym: Delphinoideinae Thiele, 1924
  • Margaritinae Thiele, 1924 - tribes are sensu taxonomy of the Gastropoda by Bouchet & Rocroi, 2005) - upgraded to the rank of family Margaritidae
  • * tribe Margaritini Thiele, 1924 - synonym: Margaritinae Stoliczka, 1868
  • * tribe Gazini Hickman & McLean, 1990
  • * tribe Kaiparathinini Marshall, 1993
  • Tegulinae Kuroda, Habe & Oyama, 1971: upgraded to the rank of family Tegulidae Kuroda, Habe & Oyama, 1971
  • Prisogasterinae Hickman & McLean, 1990
The following subfamilies were kept in Turbinidae:

Distribution

Turbinids occur in shallow and deep waters. The family has a large distribution, from the tropics to the polar regions, but most of the species live in tropical and subtropical shallow waters. Over the last 50 years a noticeable decline in both size and quantity of turban snail population has been observed by Ama divers of several regions of Japan.

Genera

Genera in the family Turbinidae include:
;Not belonging to any subfamily:Phanerolepida Dall, 1907Tropidomarga Powell, 1951
;TurbininaeAstraea Röding, 1798Astralium Link, 1807Bellastraea Iredale, 1924Bolma Risso, 1826Cookia Lesson, 1832Guildfordia Gray, 1850Lithopoma Gray, 1850Lunella Röding, 1798Megastraea McLean, 1970Modelia Gray, 1850Pomaulax Gray, 1850Turbo Linnaeus, 1758 - type genusUvanilla Gray, 1850Yaronia Mienis, 2011
;Prisogasterinae Hickman & McLean, 1990Prisogaster Mörch, 1850
;Genera brought into synonymy:Astrea Link, 1807: synonym of Astraea Röding, 1798Agathistoma Olsson & Harbison, 1953: synonym of Tegula Lesson, 1832Amyxa Troschel, 1852: synonym of Prisogaster Mörch, 1850Calcar Montfort, 1810: synonym of Astralium Link, 1807Canthorbis Swainson, 1840: synonym of Astraea Röding, 1798Cardinalia Gray, 1842: synonym of Tectus Montfort, 1810Crosseia P. Fischer, 1885: synonym of Crossea A. Adams, 1865Cyclocantha Swainson, 1840: synonym of Astralium Link, 1807Dinassovica Iredale, 1937: synonym of Turbo Linnaeus, 1758 represented as Turbo Linnaeus, 1758Distellifer Iredale, 1937: synonym of Astralium Link, 1807Foliastralium Habe & Okutani, 1980: synonym of Astralium Link, 1807Galeoastraea Habe, 1958: synonym of Bolma Risso, 1826Halopsephus Rehder, 1943: synonym of Turbo Rehder, 1943 represented as Turbo Linnaeus, 1758Harisazaea Habe, 1958: synonym of Bolma Risso, 1826Imperator Montfort, 1810: synonym of Astraea Röding, 1798
  • † Incilaster Finlay, 1926: synonym of Bolma Risso, 1826Livona Gray, 1842: synonym of Cittarium Philippi, 1847Lunatica Röding, 1798: synonym of Turbo Linnaeus, 1758Macropelmus Gistel, 1848: synonym of Astralium Link, 1807Margarita Leach, 1819: synonym of Margarites Gray, 1847Micrastraea Cotton, 1939: synonym of Bellastraea Iredale, 1924Notosetia Iredale, 1915: synonym of Putilla A. Adams, 1867Okinawastraea Habe & Okutani, 1981: synonym of Astralium Link, 1807
  • † Oobolma Sacco, 1896 : synonym of Bolma Risso, 1826
  • † Ormastralium Sacco, 1896: synonym of Bolma Risso, 1826Pachypoma Gray, 1850: synonym of Lithopoma Gray, 1850Pagocalcar Iredale, 1937: synonym of Astralium Link, 1807Pseudastralium Schepman, 1908: synonym of Bolma Risso, 1826Pyramidea Swainson, 1840: synonym of Tectus Montfort, 1810Pyramis Schumacher, 1817: synonym of Tectus Montfort, 1810Rugastella Iredale, 1937: synonym of Astralium Link, 1807Senobolma Okutani, 1964: synonym of Bolma Risso, 1826Stella P. Fischer, 1885: synonym of Astralium Link, 1807Submargarita Strebel, 1908: synonym of Lissotesta Iredale, 1915Tharsiella Bush, 1897: synonym of Cirsonella Angas, 1877Trochiscus G.B. Sowerby I, 1838: synonym of Norrisia Bayle, 1880
  • † Tylastralium Sacco, 1896: synonym of Bolma Risso, 1826Valvatella Gray, 1857: synonym of Margarites Gray, 1847