Xenophora


Xenophora, commonly called carrier shells, is a genus of medium-sized to large sea snails, marine gastropod mollusks 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, 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:Xenophora minuta Qi & Ma, 1986Xenophora robusta Verrill, 1870
; Subgenus Xenophora Kreipl, Alf & Kronenberg, 1999Xenophora flindersi
;Subgenus Xenophora Fischer von Waldheim, 1807Xenophora cerea Xenophora chinensis Philippi, 1841) Xenophora conchyliophora - American carriersnail Xenophora corrugata Xenophora crispa Xenophora granulosa Ponder, 1983 Xenophora japonica Kuroda & Habe in Kuroda et al., 1971
;Species brought into synonymy:
  • Subgenus Xenophora Möller, 1832: synonym of Stellaria Möller, 1832Xenophora testigera : synonym of Stellaria testigera Xenophora australis Souverbie & Montrouzier, 1870: synonym of Xenophora solarioides Xenophora calculifera : synonym of Stellaria chinensis Xenophora caperata sensu Petit de la Saussaye, 1857: synonym of Xenophora senegalensis Fischer, 1873Xenophora caribaea Petit de la Saussaye, 1857 - Caribbean carriersnail: synonym of Onustus caribaeus Xenophora cavelieri Rochebrune, 1883: synonym of Xenophora senegalensis Fischer, 1873Xenophora digitata Martens, 1878: synonym of Stellaria testigera digitata Martens, 1878Xenophora gigantea : synonym of Stellaria gigantea Xenophora helvacea Philippi, 1851: synonym of Onustus indicus Xenophora indica : synonym of Onustus indicus Xenophora japonica Kuroda & Habe, 1971: synonym of Xenophora japonica Kuroda & Habe, 1971Xenophora konoi Habe, 1953: synonym of Xenophora mekranensis konoi Habe, 1953Xenophora laevigata Fischer von Waldheim, 1807: synonym of Xenophora conchyliophora Xenophora lamberti Souverbie, 1871: synonym of Stellaria lamberti Xenophora longleyi Bartsch, 1931 - shingled carriersnail: synonym of Onustus longleyi Bartsch, 1931Xenophora meandrina Fischer von Waldheim, 1807: synonym of Xenophora conchyliophora Xenophora mediterranea Tiberi, 1863: synonym of Xenophora crispa Xenophora neozelanica Suter, 1908: synonym of Xenophora neozelanica neozelanica Suter, 1908Xenophora regularis Habe & Okutani, 1983 : synonym of Xenophora granulosa Ponder, 1983Xenophora tenuis Hirase, 1934: synonym of Xenophora tenuis Fulton, 1983Xenophora torrida Kuroda & Ito, 1961 : synonym of Xenophora cerea Xenophora tricostata Fischer von Waldheim, 1807: synonym of Xenophora conchyliophora Xenophora tulearensis Stewart & Kosuge, 1993: synonym of Xenophora corrugata Xenophora vulcanica Fischer von Waldheim, 1807: synonym of Xenophora conchyliophora Xenophora wagneri Philippi, 1855: synonym of ''Onustus indicus''

Extinct species

Extinct species within this genus include:
  • †Xenophora carditigera Nielsen and DeVries 2002
  • †Xenophora cummulans Brongniart 1823
  • †Xenophora delecta Guppy 1876
  • †Xenophora deshayesi Michelotti 1847
  • †Xenophora eocenica Abbass 1967
  • †Xenophora floridana Mansfield 1930
  • †Xenophora infundibulum
  • †Xenophora palaeoafra Gliozzi and Malatesta 1983
  • †Xenophora paulinae Nielsen and DeVries 2002
  • †Xenophora rugata Abbass 1967
  • †Xenophora tatei Harris 1897
  • †Xenophora terpstrai Dey 1961
  • †Xenophora textilina Dall 1892

Fossil record

Fossils of Xenophora are found in marine strata from the Cretaceous to Quaternary. Fossils are known all over the world.