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Gemmula

Gemmula, common name the gem turrids, is a genus of sea snails, marine gastropod mollusks in the family Turridae, the turrids.

These snails have been recorded as fossils from the Paleocene to the Quaternary (from 66.043 to 0.012 Ma). Fossils have been found all over the world.

This genus is still regarded as paraphyletic and was revised in 2024. A high number of undescribed species are estimated to belong to Gemmula. Since independent “Gemmula-like” lineages are distributed all over the turrid tree, a revision of Gemmula would entail again a complete revision of the family Turridae.

This revision has been made in 2024 as part of the generic revision of the Recent Turridae. Gemmula has been split up in 10 new genera.

They are venomous with disulfide-rich polypeptides in their venom ducts. These bioactive peptides are likely to become a resource for novel pharmacologically active compounds

Habitat and feeding habits

The snails in this genus occur mostly in deeper tropical waters at depths between 50 and 500m. Because of these deep habitats, little is known about their feeding habits.

Taxonomy

The Gemmula clade is more closely related to the clades Xenuroturris, Turris and Lophiotoma than to the other clades in the former subfamily Turrinae.

Description

The fusiform shell resembles Drillia, but with a thin and simple outer lip without an anterior sulcus, and the inner lip usually simple, hardly callous. The protoconch is polygyrate and axially costate. There are three or four embryonal whorls, the two upper ones smooth, upright, the others longitudinally ribbed. The sculpture is most emphasized in a spiral direction, often with a prominent beaded keel at or in front of the anal fasciole.The rather long siphonal canal is narrow and tapering, sometimes curved. The sinus is straight, more or less narrow and long, terminating in a nodulous peripheral keel that is gemmate throughout. Type species : Pleurotoma gemmata <small>Hinds, 1843</small>

The bead-row of the fasciole readily distinguishes this genus from related forms. Between the smooth protoconch and the adult whorls two or three whorls intervene with descrepant sculpture of fine arcuate longitudinal riblets.

As expected from venomous species, these species have a toxoglosson radula (formula 1 + 0 +1 + 0 + 1) with a central tooth that characterizes this genus.

Species

The genus Gemmula is the largest genus in the former subfamily Turrinae. Species within the genus Gemmula include:

Synonyms

  • Gemmula aethiopica <small>(Thiele, 1925)</small>: synonym of Cryptogemma aethiopica <small>(Thiele, 1925)</small>
  • Gemmula albina <small>(Lamarck, 1822)</small>: synonym of Anisogemmula albina <small>(Lamarck, 1822)</small>
  • Gemmula amabilis <small>(Weinkauff, 1875)</small>: synonym of Eugemmula amabilis <small>(Weinkauff, 1875)</small>
  • Gemmula ambara <small>Olivera et al., 2008</small>: synonym of Anisogemmula ambara <small>(B. M. Olivera, Hillyard & Watkins, 2008)</small>
  • Gemmula bisinuata <small>(Martens, 1901)</small>: synonym of Cryptogemma praesignis <small>(E. A. Smith, 1895)</small>
  • Gemmula championi <small>Kilburn, 1983</small>: synonym of Eugemmula championi <small>(Kilburn, 1983)</small>
  • Gemmula congener <small>(Smith E. A., 1894)</small>: synonym of Oliveragemmula congener <small>(E. A. Smith, 1894)</small>
  • Gemmula cosmoi <small>(Sykes, 1930)</small>: synonym of Oliveragemmula cosmoi <small>(Sykes, 1930)</small>
  • Gemmula damperierana <small>Powell, 1964</small>: synonym of Oliveragemmula dampierana <small>(A. W. B. Powell, 1964)</small>
  • Gemmula diomedea <small>Powell, 1964</small>: synonym of Oliveragemmula diomedea <small>(A. W. B. Powell, 1964)</small>
  • Gemmula fenestrata] <small>Kosuge, 1990</small>: synonym of Taylorigemmula fenestrata <small>(Kosuge, 1990)</small>
  • Gemmula gemmulina <small>(Martens, 1902)</small>: synonym of Kilburnigemmula gemmulina <small>(E. von Martens, 1902)</small>
  • Gemmula gilchristi <small>(Sowerby III, 1902)</small>: synonym of Oliveragemmula gilchristi <small>(G. B. Sowerby III, 1902)</small>
  • Gemmula graeffei <small>(Weinkauff, 1875)</small>: synonym of Anisogemmula graeffei <small>(Weinkauff, 1875)</small>
  • Gemmula hastula <small>(Reeve, 1843)</small>: synonym of Deceptigemmula hastula <small>(Reeve, 1843)</small>
  • Gemmula hawleyi <small>(Iredale, 1931)</small>: synonym of Eugemmula hawleyi <small>Iredale, 1931</small>
  • Gemmula hombroni <small>Hedley, 1922</small>: synonym of Eugemmula hombroni <small>(Hedley, 1922)</small>
  • Gemmula lisajoni <small>Olivera, 1999</small>: synonym of Anisogemmula lisajoni <small>(B. M. Olivera, 1999)</small>
  • Gemmula luzonica <small>(Powell, 1964)</small>: synonym of Cryptogemma aethiopica <small>(Thiele, 1925)</small>
  • Gemmula microscelida <small>(Dall, 1895)</small>: synonym of Cryptogemma praesignis <small>(E. A. Smith, 1895)</small>
  • Gemmula monilifera <small>(Pease, 1860)</small>: synonym of Eugemmula monilifera <small>(Pease, 1860)</small>
  • Gemmula murrayi <small>Powell, 1964</small>: synonym of Oliveragemmula murrayi <small>(A. W. B. Powell, 1964)</small>
  • Gemmula periscelida <small>(Dall, 1889)</small>: synonym of Cryptogemma periscelida <small>(Dall, 1889)</small>
  • Gemmula praesignis <small>(Smith E. A., 1895)</small>: synonym of Cryptogemma praesignis <small>(E. A. Smith, 1895)</small>
  • Gemmula pseudogranosa <small>(Nomura, 1940)</small>: synonym of Pseudogemmula pseudogranosa <small>(Nomura, 1940)</small>
  • Gemmula pseudomonilifera <small>Powell, 1967</small>: synonym of Powelligemmula pseudomonilifera <small>(A. W. B. Powell, 1967)</small>
  • Gemmula rarimaculata <small>Kuroda, Habe & Oyama, 1971</small>: synonym of Powelligemmula rarimaculata <small>(Kuroda & Oyama, 1971)</small>
  • Gemmula rosario <small>Shikama, 1977</small>: synonym of Oliveragemmula rosario <small>(Shikama & Hayashi, 1977)</small>
  • Gemmula rotatilis <small>(Martens, 1902)</small>: synonym of Cryptogemma praesignis <small>(E. A. Smith, 1895)</small>
  • Gemmula sogodensis <small>Olivera, 2004</small>: synonym of Oliveragemmula sogodensis <small>(B. M. Olivera, 2005)</small>
  • Gemmula speciosa <small>(Reeve, 1842)</small>: synonym of Oliveragemmula speciosa <small>(Reeve, 1842)</small>
  • Gemmula subfenestrata <small>Kosuge, 1990</small>: synonym of Oliveragemmula subfenestrata <small>(Kosuge, 1990)</small>
  • Gemmula teschi <small>(Powell, 1964)</small>: synonym of Cryptogemma timorensis <small>(Tesch, 1915)</small>
  • Gemmula tessellata <small>Powell, 1967</small>: synonym of Cryptogemma tessellata <small>(Powell, 1967)</small>
  • Gemmula thielei <small>Finlay H. J., 1930</small>: synonym of Cryptogemma aethiopica <small>(Thiele, 1925)</small>
  • Gemmula truncata <small>(Schepman, 1913)</small>: synonym of Cryptogemma phymatias <small>(R. B. Watson, 1886)</small>
  • Gemmula unedo <small>(Kiener, 1840)</small>: synonym of Unedogemmula unedo <small>(Kiener, 1839)</small>
  • Gemmula unilineata <small>Powell, 1967</small>: synonym of Cryptogemma unilineata <small>(Powell, 1967)</small>
  • Gemmula vicella <small>Dall, 1908</small> accepted as Gymnobela vicella <small>(Dall, 1908)</small> (original combination)
  • Gemmula westaustralis <small>Kosuge, 1990</small>: synonym of Oliveragemmula westaustralis <small>(Kosuge, 1990)</small>

References

  • Powell, A.W.B. 1964. The Family Turridae in the Indo-Pacific. Part 1. The Subfamily Turrinae. Indo-Pacific Mollusca 1: 227-346
  • Kilburn, R.N. (1983) Turridae (Mollusca: Gastropoda) of southern Africa and Mozambique. Part 1. Subfamily Turrinae. Annals of the Natal Museum, 25, 549–585.

External links