Turritellidae
Turritellidae, with the common name "tower shells" or "tower snails", is a taxonomic family of small- to medium-sized sea snails, marine gastropod molluscs in the Sorbeoconcha clade.
They are filter feeders; this method of feeding is somewhat unusual among gastropod mollusks, but is very common in bivalves.
Shell description
The shells of turritellid species have whorls that are more convex and their apertures being more circular than it is in the auger shells, which are similarly high-spired. The columella is curved and the thin operculum has many horns.Anatomy of the soft parts
These snails burrow into mud or sand, with their feet being relatively small.Image:Turritella communis fossiel.jpg|thumb|A fossil shell of Turritella communis from a deep borehole in the Netherlands
Taxonomy
The following genera are recognised in the family Turritellidae:;†Omalaxinae
- †Omalaxis Deshayes, 1832
;Pareorinae
- †Batillona Finlay, 1927
- †Eligmostoma Cossmann, 1888 Mesalia Gray, 1847 Pareora Marwick, 1931
- †Sigmesalia H. J. Finlay & Marwick, 1937
;Turritellinae
- Archimediella
- Armatus
- †Asiella
- Banzarecolpus
- Broderiptella
- Callostracum
- †Calvertitella
- Caviturritella
- †Colposigma
- Colpospira
- †Costacolpus
- †Cristispira
- Gazameda
- Haustator
- Helminthia
- Incatella
- †Kapalmerella
- Maoricolpus
- †Mariacolpus
- †Nairiella
- Neohaustator
- †Nodosella
- †Oligodia
- †Peyrotia
- †Ptychidia
- †Roamerella
- †Spirocolpus
- Stiracolpus
- †Tachyrhinchella
- Tachyrhynchus
- Torcula
- †Torquesia
- †Torquesiella
- Tropicolpus
- Turritella - the type genus of the family
- Turritellinella
- Vermicularia
- †Viennella
- Zeacolpus
- †Arcotia Stoliczka, 1867
- †Leptocolpus H. J. Finlay & Marwick, 1937
Palaeontological locations
- The Turritellenplatte of Ermingen is situated in the northern part of the North Alpine Foreland Basin and is of interest for its abundance of Turritella turris gastropod shells within sedimentary deposits. The fauna of the gastropod-rich sandstone reflects mainly towards near-coastal and shallow marine conditions. Petrographical and palaeontological data allow for a correlation with this area and the Burdigalian age. Based on the Sr-isotope composition of shark teeth in the area, the age of the area is about 18,5 Ma.