Toxiclionella

Toxiclionella
Toxiclionella haliplex
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Mollusca
Class: Gastropoda
Subclass: Caenogastropoda
Order: Neogastropoda
Superfamily: Conoidea
Family: Clavatulidae
Genus: Toxiclionella
Powell, 1966
Type species
Clavatula tumida
G.B. Sowerby II, 1870
Synonyms
  • Clionella (Toxiclionella) Powell, 1966
  • Toxiclionella (Toxiclionella) Powell, 1966

Toxiclionella is a genus of sea snails, marine gastropod mollusks in the family Clavatulidae.[1][2] The genus is known for having hypodermic marginal teeth. All three species are endemic to the waters of South Africa.

Description

Members of Toxiclionella have a shell ranging between 55–60 mm (2.2–2.4 in) in size, and are claviform, with a tall spire of flattened outlines and a narrow body-whorl which terminates in a short anterior canal. Members of the species can be distinguished due to having toxoglossate radula consisting of a bundle of long, curved marginals, which are double-barbed near the tip of the shell.[3]

Toxiclionella are known for having hypodermic marginal teeth which are loosely enrolled and attached to the radular ribbon along their length.[4][2]

Taxonomy

The taxon was first described as a subgenus of Clionella in 1966 by New Zealand malacologist Baden Powell, who assigned Toxiclionella tumida, which has originally been described as Clavatula tumida by George Brettingham Sowerby II in 1870, as the type species. Powell split off the members of the genus from Clionella due to the toxoglossate dentition in the radula found in the species.[3] By 1985, malacologist Richard Kilburn had begun referring to Toxiclionella as a full genus.[5]

Distribution and habitat

Toxiclionella is endemic to the waters of South Africa, found in the photic zone between depths of 45–100 m (148–328 ft).[3][5] T. impages and T. tumida are both found on the Agulhas Bank, while T. haliplex is found off the coast of Eastern Cape.

Species

Species within the genus Toxiclionella include:

Species brought into synonymy

References

  1. ^ Toxiclionella Powell, 1966. Retrieved through: World Register of Marine Species on 15 April 2010.
  2. ^ a b Bouchet, P.; Kantor, Yu. I.; Sysoev, A.; Puillandre, N. (26 July 2011). "A new operational classification of the Conoidea (Gastropoda)". Journal of Molluscan Studies. 77 (3): 273–308. doi:10.1093/MOLLUS/EYR017. ISSN 0260-1230. Wikidata Q54552868.
  3. ^ a b c Powell, A. W. B. (1 November 1966). "The molluscan families Speightiidae and Turridae: an evaluation of the valid taxa, both recent and fossil, with lists of characteristic species". Bulletin of the Auckland Institute and Museum. 5. Auckland Institute and Museum: 57. ISSN 0067-0456. LCCN 67091267. OCLC 956602. Wikidata Q115098397.
  4. ^ Kantor, Yuir I.; Taylor, John D. (October 2000). "Formation of marginal radular teeth in Conoidea (Neogastropoda) and the evolution of the hypodermic envenomation mechanism". Journal of Zoology. 252 (2): 251–262. doi:10.1111/J.1469-7998.2000.TB00620.X. ISSN 1469-7998. Wikidata Q56552250.
  5. ^ a b Kilburn, R. N. (1 June 1985). "Turridae (Mollusca: Gastropoda) of southern Africa and Mozambique. Part 2. Subfamily Clavatulinae" (PDF). Annals of the Natal Museum (in French). 26 (2): 417–470. hdl:10520/AJA03040798_469. ISSN 0304-0798. Wikidata Q94767269.
  6. ^ Toxiclionella haliplex (Bartsch, 1915). Retrieved through: World Register of Marine Species on 15 April 2010.
  7. ^ Toxiclionella impages (Adams & Reeve, 1848). Retrieved through: World Register of Marine Species on 15 April 2010.
  8. ^ Toxiclionella tumida (Sowerby II, 1870). Retrieved through: World Register of Marine Species on 15 April 2010.
  9. ^ Toxiclionella elstoni (Barnard, 1962). Retrieved through: World Register of Marine Species on 15 April 2010.

Further reading

  • Rosenberg, Gary (January 1998). "Reproducibility of results in phylogenetic analysis of mollusks: a reanalysis of the Taylor, Kantor, and Sysoev (1993) data set for conoidean gastropods". American Malacological Bulletin. 14 (2): 219–228.