Strombidae
Encyclopedia
Strombidae, commonly known as
Common name
A common name of a taxon or organism is a name in general use within a community; it is often contrasted with the scientific name for the same organism...

 the true conchs, is a taxonomic family
Family (biology)
In biological classification, family is* a taxonomic rank. Other well-known ranks are life, domain, kingdom, phylum, class, order, genus, and species, with family fitting between order and genus. As for the other well-known ranks, there is the option of an immediately lower rank, indicated by the...

 of medium-sized to very large sea snail
Sea snail
Sea snail is a common name for those snails that normally live in saltwater, marine gastropod molluscs....

s, marine
Marine (ocean)
Marine is an umbrella term. As an adjective it is usually applicable to things relating to the sea or ocean, such as marine biology, marine ecology and marine geology...

 gastropod mollusks in the superfamily Stromboidea
Stromboidea
The Stromboidea, originally named the Strombacea by Rafinesque in 1815, is a superfamily of medium-sized to very large sea snails, marine gastropod mollusks in the clade Littorinimorpha.-Shell description:...

.

The family Strombidae includes the genera Strombus
Strombus
Strombus, common name the true conchs, is a genus of medium to large sea snails with an operculum, marine gastropod mollusks in the family Strombidae, the true conchs and their immediate relatives....

, Lambis
Lambis
Lambis is a genus of large sea snails sometimes known as spider conchs, marine gastropod mollusks in the family Strombidae, the true conch family...

, Tibia, and their allies. Many more species existed in the geological past than are now extant.

The term true conchs, being a common name, does not have an exact meaning. It may refer generally to any of the Strombidae but sometimes is used more specifically to include only Strombus and Lambis or just Strombus itself.

Distribution

Strombid gastropods live mainly in tropical and subtropical waters. These animals are widespread in the Indo-West Pacific
Indo-West Pacific
The Indo-West Pacific, or IWP, is a zoogeographical region spanning the entire Indian Ocean including the Red Sea and the Pacific Ocean as far as the Caroline Islands but short of the Marshall Islands...

, where most species and genera occur. Nearly forty of the living species that used to belong to the genus Strombus
Strombus
Strombus, common name the true conchs, is a genus of medium to large sea snails with an operculum, marine gastropod mollusks in the family Strombidae, the true conchs and their immediate relatives....

can be found in the Indo-Pacific
Indo-Pacific
The Indo-Pacific is a biogeographic region of the Earth's seas, comprising the tropical waters of the Indian Ocean, the western and central Pacific Ocean, and the seas connecting the two in the general area of Indonesia...

 region. They also occur in the eastern Pacific and Western Atlantic, and a single species can be found on the African Atlantic coast. Six species of strombids are found in the wider Caribbean
Caribbean
The Caribbean is a crescent-shaped group of islands more than 2,000 miles long separating the Gulf of Mexico and the Caribbean Sea, to the west and south, from the Atlantic Ocean, to the east and north...

 region, including the queen conch Lobatus gigas, the goliath conch Lobatus goliath, the hawk-wing conch Lobatus raninus, the rooster tail conch Lobatus gallus, the milk conch Lobatus costatus, the West Indian fighting conch Strombus pugilis
Strombus pugilis
Strombus pugilis, common names the fighting conch, or the West Indian fighting conch, is a species of medium to large sea snail, a marine gastropod mollusk in the family Strombidae, the true conchs....

and the Florida fighting conch Strombus alatus
Strombus alatus
Strombus alatus, common name the "Florida fighting conch" is a species of medium-sized warm-water sea snail, a marine gastropod mollusk in the family Strombidae, the true conchs.- Distribution :...

. Until recently, all of these species were placed in the genus Strombus, but now many species are being moved into new genera.

Morphology and life habits

Strombids have long eye stalks, a long and narrow aperture
Aperture (mollusc)
The aperture is an opening in certain kinds of mollusc shells: it is the main opening of the shell, where part of the body of the animal emerges for locomotion, feeding, etc....

, and a siphonal canal
Siphonal canal
Some sea marine gastropods have a soft tubular anterior extension of the mantle called a siphon through which water is drawn into the mantle cavity and over the gill and which serves as a chemoreceptor to locate food. In many carnivorous snails, where the siphon is particularly long, the structure...

. The shell margin has an indentation near the anterior end which accommodates one of the eye stalks. This indentation is called a strombid or stromboid notch
Stromboid notch
The stromboid notch is an anatomical feature which is found in the shell of one taxonomic family of medium sized to large sea snails, the conches....

. The stromboid notch may be more or less conspicuous depending on the species. The shell of most species in this family grow a flared lip upon reaching sexual maturity, and they lay eggs in long, gelatinous strands. The genera Strombus
Strombus
Strombus, common name the true conchs, is a genus of medium to large sea snails with an operculum, marine gastropod mollusks in the family Strombidae, the true conchs and their immediate relatives....

and Lambis
Lambis
Lambis is a genus of large sea snails sometimes known as spider conchs, marine gastropod mollusks in the family Strombidae, the true conch family...

have many similarities between them, both anatomical and reproductive, though their shells show some conspicuous differences.

Strombid were widely accepted as carnivore
Carnivore
A carnivore meaning 'meat eater' is an organism that derives its energy and nutrient requirements from a diet consisting mainly or exclusively of animal tissue, whether through predation or scavenging...

s by several authors in the 19th century, an erroneous conception that persisted for several decades into the first half of the 20th century. This ideology was probably born in the writings of Lamarck, who classified strombids alongside other supposedly carnivorous snails, and was posteriorly recovered by other authors. However, the many claims of those authors were never supported by the observation of animals in their natural habitat
Habitat
* Habitat , a place where a species lives and grows*Human habitat, a place where humans live, work or play** Space habitat, a space station intended as a permanent settlement...

. Nowadays, strombids are known to be specialized herbivore
Herbivore
Herbivores are organisms that are anatomically and physiologically adapted to eat plant-based foods. Herbivory is a form of consumption in which an organism principally eats autotrophs such as plants, algae and photosynthesizing bacteria. More generally, organisms that feed on autotrophs in...

s and occasional detritivore
Detritivore
Detritivores, also known as detritophages or detritus feeders or detritus eaters or saprophages, are heterotrophs that obtain nutrients by consuming detritus . By doing so, they contribute to decomposition and the nutrient cycles...

s. They are usually associated with shallow water reef
Reef
In nautical terminology, a reef is a rock, sandbar, or other feature lying beneath the surface of the water ....

s and seagrass
Seagrass
Seagrasses are flowering plants from one of four plant families , all in the order Alismatales , which grow in marine, fully saline environments.-Ecology:...

 meadows.

Behavior

Unlike most snails, which glide slowly across the substrate on their foot, strombid gastropods have a characteristic means of locomotion, using their pointed, sickle-shaped, horny operculum to propel themselves forward in a so called leaping motion.

Burrowing behaviour, in which an individual sinks itself entirely or partially into the substrate, is also frequent among strombid gastropods. The burrowing process itself, which involves distinct sequential movements and sometimes complex behaviours, is very characteristic of each species. Usually, large strombid gastropods such as the queen conch Eustrombus gigas and the spider conch Lambis lambis
Lambis lambis
Lambis lambis, common name the spider conch, is a species of large sea snail, a marine gastropod mollusk in the family Strombidae, the true conchs. -Shell description:...

, won't bury themselves, except during their juvenile stage. On the other hand, smaller species such as the dog conch Strombus canarium
Strombus canarium
Laevistrombus canarium, commonly known as the dog conch and still better known under its synonym Strombus canarium, is a species of edible sea snail, a marine gastropod mollusk in the family Strombidae, the true conchs. An Indo-Pacific species, L. canarium lives on mud and sandy bottoms,...

and Strombus epidromis
Strombus epidromis
Labiostrombus epidromis is a species of sea snail, a marine gastropod mollusk in the family Strombidae, the true conchs....

may bury themselves even after adulthood, though this is not an absolute rule.

Taxonomy

For a long time all conchs and their allies (the strombids) were classified in only two genera : Strombus
Strombus
Strombus, common name the true conchs, is a genus of medium to large sea snails with an operculum, marine gastropod mollusks in the family Strombidae, the true conchs and their immediate relatives....

and Lambis
Lambis
Lambis is a genus of large sea snails sometimes known as spider conchs, marine gastropod mollusks in the family Strombidae, the true conch family...

. This classification can still be found in many textbooks and on websites on the internet. Based on molecular phylogeny
Molecular phylogeny
Molecular phylogenetics is the analysis of hereditary molecular differences, mainly in DNA sequences, to gain information on an organism's evolutionary relationships. The result of a molecular phylogenetic analysis is expressed in a phylogenetic tree...

 (independent of morphological data) and a well-known fossil record, the genus Strombus has been subdivided in several new genera.

Genera

The family Strombidae comprises several genera (extinct genera are marked with a dagger †), including:
  • Barneystrombus Blackwood, 2009
  • Canarium
    Canarium (gastropod)
    Canarium is a genus of sea snails, marine gastropod mollusks in the family Strombidae, the true conchs.-Species:Species within the genus Canarium include:* Canarium betuleti * Canarium erythrinum...

    Schumacher, 1817
  • Conomurex
    Conomurex
    Conomurex is a genus of sea snails, marine gastropod mollusks in the family Strombidae, the true conchs.-Species:Species within the genus Conomurex include:* Conomurex decorus * Conomurex fasciatus...

    Bayle in P. Fischer, 1884
  • Dolomena
    Dolomena
    Dolomena is a genus of sea snails, marine gastropod mollusks in the family Strombidae, the true conchs.The name of the genus Dolomena was originally introduced by Iredale in 1931, but he didn't provide a description. Therefore he wasn't accepted as the author of this genus Dolomena is a genus of...

    Wenz, 1940
  • Doxander
    Doxander
    Doxander is a genus of sea snails, marine gastropod mollusks in the family Strombidae, the true conchs.The name Doxander was originally given by Iredale to this genus in 1931. But since he didn't provide a description, the name Doxander, Iredale, 1931 is no longer available under Art...

    Wenz, 1940
  • Euprotomus
    Euprotomus
    Euprotomus is a genus of sea snails, marine gastropod mollusks in the family Strombidae, the true conchs.-Species:Species within the genus Euprotomus include:* Euprotomus aurisdianae * Euprotomus aurora Kronenberg, 2002...

    Gill, 1870
  • Gibberulus
    Gibberulus
    Gibberulus is a genus of sea snails, marine gastropod mollusks in the family Strombidae, the true conchs.-Species:Species within the genus Gibberulus include:* Gibberulus gibberulus * Gibberulus gibbosus...

    Jousseaume, 1888
  • Harpago
    Harpago
    Harpago is a genus of sea snails, marine gastropod mollusks in the family Strombidae, the true conchs.Harpago is also a term used in insect morphology for the distal end of a genital clasper.-Species:...

    Mörch, 1852
  • Labiostrombus
    Labiostrombus
    Labiostrombus is a monospecific genus of sea snails, marine gastropod mollusks in the family Strombidae, the true conchs.-Species:Species within the genus Labiostrombus include:...

    Oostingh, 1925
  • Laevistrombus
    Laevistrombus
    Laevistrombus is a monospecific genus of sea snails, marine gastropod mollusks in the family Strombidae, the true conchs.-Species:Species within the genus Laevistrombus include:* Laevistrombus canarium -External links:*...

    Abbott, 1960
  • Lambis
    Lambis
    Lambis is a genus of large sea snails sometimes known as spider conchs, marine gastropod mollusks in the family Strombidae, the true conch family...

    Röding, 1798
  • Lentigo
    Lentigo (gastropod)
    Lentigo is a genus of sea snails, marine gastropod mollusks in the family Strombidae, the true conchs.-Species:Species within the genus Lentigo include:* Lentigo lentiginosus * Lentigo pipus...

    Jousseaume, 1886
  • Lobatus Swainson, 1837
  • Margistrombus
    Margistrombus
    Margistrombus is a genus of sea snails, marine gastropod mollusks in the family Strombidae, the true conchs.-Species:Species within the genus Margistrombus include:* Margistrombus marginatus...

    Bandel, 2007
  • Mirabilistrombus
    Mirabilistrombus
    Mirabilistrombus is a monospecific genus of sea snails, marine gastropod mollusks in the family Strombidae, the true conchs.-Species:Species within the genus Conomurex include:* Mirabilistrombus listeri...

    Kronenberg, 1998
  • Persististrombus
    Persististrombus
    Persististrombus is a genus of sea snails, marine gastropod mollusks in the family Strombidae, the true conchs.-Species:Species within the genus Persististrombus include:* Persististrombus granulatus...

    Kronenberg & Lee, 2007
  • Sinustrombus
    Sinustrombus
    Sinustrombus is a genus of sea snails, marine gastropod mollusks in the family Strombidae, the true conchs.-Species:Species within the genus Sinustrombus include:* Sinustrombus latissimus...

    Bandel, 2007
  • Strombus
    Strombus
    Strombus, common name the true conchs, is a genus of medium to large sea snails with an operculum, marine gastropod mollusks in the family Strombidae, the true conchs and their immediate relatives....

    Linnaeus, 1758
  • Terestrombus
    Terestrombus
    Terestrombus is a genus of sea snails, marine gastropod mollusks in the family Strombidae, the true conchs.-Species:Species within the genus Terestrombus include:* Terestrombus afrobellatus...

    Kronenberg & Vermeij, 2002
  • Thersistrombus
    Thersistrombus
    Thersistrombus is a genus of sea snails, marine gastropod mollusks in the family Strombidae, the true conchs.-Species:Species within the genus Thersistrombus include:* Thersistrombus thersites...

    Bandel, 2007
  • Tricornis
    Tricornis
    Tricornis is a genus of sea snails, marine gastropod mollusks in the family Strombidae, the true conchs.-Species:Species within the genus Tricornis include:* Tricornis oldi * Tricornis tricornis...

    Jousseaume, 1886
  • Tridentarius
    Tridentarius
    Tridentarius is a monospecific genus of sea snails, marine gastropod mollusks in the family Strombidae, the true conchs.-Species:Species within the genus Tridentarius include:* Tridentarius dentatus...

    Kronenberg & Vermeij, 2002
  • Rimella
    Rimella (gastropod)
    † Rimella is an extinct genus of fossil sea snails, marine gastropod mollusks in the family Strombidae, the true conchs. This genus is found from the Paleocene to the Oligocene of Europe.-Species:Species within the genus Rimella include:...

    Agassiz, 1840

Genera brought into synonymy :
  • Afristrombus Bandel, 2007 : synonym of Persististrombus Kronenberg & Lee, 2007
  • Aliger Thiele, 1929 : synonym of Lobatus Swainson, 1837
  • Decostrombus Bandel, 2007 : synonym of Conomurex Bayle in P. Fischer, 1884
  • Eustrombus Wenz, 1940 : synonym of Lobatus Swainson, 1837
  • Fusistrombus Bandel, 2007 : synonym of Canarium Schumacher, 1817
  • Gallinula Mörch, 1852 : synonym of Labiostrombus Oostingh, 1925
  • Hawaiistrombus Bandel, 2007 : synonym of Canarium Schumacher, 1817
  • Heptadactylus Mörch, 1852 : synonym of Lambis Röding, 1798
  • Latissistrombus Bandel, 2007 : synonym of Sinustrombus Bandel, 2007
  • Macrostrombus Petuch, 1994 : synonym of Lobatus Swainson, 1837
  • Millipes Mörch, 1852 : synonym of Lambis Röding, 1798
  • Ministrombus Bandel, 2007 : synonym of Dolomena Wenz, 1940
  • Monodactylus Mörch, 1852 : synonym of Euprotomus Gill, 1870
  • Neodilatilabrum Dekkers, 2008 : synonym of Margistrombus Bandel, 2007
  • Pterocera Lamarck, 1799 : synonym of Lambis Röding, 1798
  • Pyramis Röding, 1798 : synonym of Strombus Linnaeus, 1758
  • Solidistrombus Dekkers, 2008 : synonym of Sinustrombus Bandel, 2007
  • Strombella Schlüter, 1838 : synonym of Strombus Linnaeus, 1758
  • Strombidea Swainson, 1840 : synonym of Canarium Schumacher, 1817
  • Thetystrombus Dekkers, 2008 : synonym of Persististrombus Kronenberg & Lee, 2007
  • Titanostrombus Petuch, 1994 : synonym of Lobatus Swainson, 1837



Cladograms

A cladogram
Cladogram
A cladogram is a diagram used in cladistics which shows ancestral relations between organisms, to represent the evolutionary tree of life. Although traditionally such cladograms were generated largely on the basis of morphological characters, DNA and RNA sequencing data and computational...

 (a tree of descent) based on an extensive morpho
Morphology (biology)
In biology, morphology is a branch of bioscience dealing with the study of the form and structure of organisms and their specific structural features....

-anatomical
Anatomy
Anatomy is a branch of biology and medicine that is the consideration of the structure of living things. It is a general term that includes human anatomy, animal anatomy , and plant anatomy...

 analysis of representatives of Aporrhaidae
Aporrhaidae
Aporrhaidae, common name the pelican's foot snails, is a taxonomic family of sea snails. The taxonomy of the Gastropoda by Bouchet & Rocroi, 2005 categorizes Aporrhaidae as marine gastropod mollusks in the clade Littorinimorpha....

, Strombidae, Xenophoridae
Xenophoridae
Xenophoridae, common name carrier shells, are a taxonomic family of medium-sized to large sea snails, marine gastropod mollusks in the clade Littorinimorpha....

 and Struthiolariidae was proposed by Simone (2005). A simplified part of this analysis, comprising only Strombidae representatives, is depicted below:
Another cladogram
Cladogram
A cladogram is a diagram used in cladistics which shows ancestral relations between organisms, to represent the evolutionary tree of life. Although traditionally such cladograms were generated largely on the basis of morphological characters, DNA and RNA sequencing data and computational...

, this time based on sequences of nuclear histone H3
Histone H3
Histone H3 is one of the five main histone proteins involved in the structure of chromatin in eukaryotic cells. Featuring a main globular domain and a long N-terminal tail, H3 is involved with the structure of the nucleosomes of the 'beads on a string' structure...

 and mitochondrial cytochrome-c oxidase I
Main subunit of cytochrome c oxidase
Cytochrome C and Quinol oxidase polypeptide I is main subunit of cytochrome c oxidase complex.Cytochrome c oxidase is a key enzyme in aerobic metabolism. Proton pumping heme-copper oxidases represent the terminal, energy-transfer enzymes of respiratory chains in prokaryotes and eukaryotes...

 (COI) genes was proposed by Latiolais et al. (2006). The phylogenic relations of (32 analyzed) species that used to belong or still belong in the genus Strombus and Lambis
Lambis
Lambis is a genus of large sea snails sometimes known as spider conchs, marine gastropod mollusks in the family Strombidae, the true conch family...

are shown bellow:

Further reading

  • Roy K. (1996). "The roles of mass extinction and biotic interaction in large-scale replacements: a reexamination using the fossil record of stromboidean gastropods". Paleobiology
    Paleobiology (journal)
    Paleobiology is a scientific journal promoting the integration of biology and conventional palæontology, with emphasis placed on biological or paleobiological processes and patterns. It attracts papers of interest to more than one discipline, and occasionally publishes research on recent organisms...

    22(3): 436-452. pdf JSTOR
  • Roy K., Balch D. P. & Hellberg M. E. (2001). "Spatial patterns of morphological diversity across the Indo-Pacific: analyses using strombid gastropods". Proceedings of the Royal Society
    Proceedings of the Royal Society
    Proceedings of the Royal Society is the parent title of two scientific journals published by the Royal Society, whereas its initial journal, Philosophical Transactions, is now devoted to special thematic issues...

     B
    268: 2503-2508. doi:10.1098/rspb.2000.1428. PDF

External links

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