Trochus erithreus

Trochus erithreus
Several views of a shell of Trochus erithreus
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Mollusca
Class:	Gastropoda
Clade:	Vetigastropoda
Superfamily:	Trochoidea
Family:	Trochidae
Genus:	Trochus
Species:	T. erithreus
Binomial name
Trochus erithreus Brocchi, 1821
Synonyms
Infundibulops erithreus (Brocchi, 1821) Infundibulum erythraeum (Brocchi, 1821) Trochus (Infundibulops) erithreus (Brocchi, 1821) Trochus erythraeus Brocchi, 1821 (incorrect subsequent spelling) Trochus erythreus [sic] (misspelling) Trochus fictilis Jonas, 1846 Trochus kochii Kiener

Trochus erithreus is a species of small sea snail, a marine gastropod mollusc in the family Trochidae, the top snails.^[1]

Description

The height of the shell varies between 33 mm and 35 mm, its diameter between 37 mm and 40 mm. The rather thin and inflated shell has a conical shape and is false-umbilicate. The apex is acute. The about 7 whorls are somewhat concave and generally traversed by several conspicuously granose lirae in the middle. They are a little gibbous above and below, obliquely undulate below the sutures, and frequently on the periphery also. The whole surface is more or less finely spirally lirate with subgranulose lirae. The convex base of the shell is concentrically lirate with about 7 granose narrow lirae. Their interstices are generally occupied by concentric striae. The color of the shell is cinereous grayish or pinkish, striped and maculated above with reddish; unicolored pinkish or radiately marked below. The large aperture is smooth and pearly within. The basal lip is simple. The oblique columella is very deeply inserted, its entire edge nearly straight, not dentate. The deep umbilical tract is narrow, pearly. bearing a single strong spiral white rib near its base, which does not attain the edge of the columella.^[2]

Juvenile shell

It feeds on algae and is often seen by divers.^[3]

Distribution

This species occurs in the Indian Ocean (Aldabra Region), the Red Sea, the Persian Gulf (off Kuwait), the Mediterranean Sea (introduced) and in the Northern Atlantic Ocean.

References

1. Bouchet, P.; Rosenberg, G.; Gofas, S. (2014). Trochus erithreus Brocchi, 1821. Accessed through: World Register of Marine Species at http://www.marinespecies.org/aphia.php?p=taxdetails&id=225666 on 2014-06-14
2. H. Pilsbry, Manual of Conchology XI, Academy of Natural Sciences, Philadelphia (described as Trochus (Infundibulops) erythraeus)
3. "Dive Planet". Retrieved 15 October 2012.

• Brocchi (1821). Continuazione e fine del catalogo delle conchiglie raccolte dal Sig. G. Forni nel seno Arabico ed illustrate dal Sig. Brocchi. Biblioteca Italiana : 24: 209-226. page(s):
• Spry, J.F. (1961). The sea shells of Dar es Salaam: Gastropods. Tanganyika Notes and Records 56
• Taylor, J.D. (1973). Provisional list of the mollusca of Aldabra Atoll.
• Bosch D.T., Dance S.P., Moolenbeek R.G. & Oliver P.G. (1995) Seashells of eastern Arabia. Dubai: Motivate Publishing. 296 pp
• Gofas, S.; Le Renard, J.; Bouchet, P. (2001). Mollusca, in: Costello, M.J. et al. (Ed.) (2001). European register of marine species: a check-list of the marine species in Europe and a bibliography of guides to their identification. Collection Patrimoines Naturels, 50: pp. 180–213
• Streftaris, N.; Zenetos, A.; Papathanassiou, E. (2005). Globalisation in marine ecosystems: the story of non-indigenous marine species across European seas. Oceanogr. Mar. Biol. Annu. Rev. 43: 419-453

External links

• Gastropods.com: Infundibulops erithreus