Turbinidae

Turbinidae, the turban snails, are a family of small to large marine gastropod molluscs in the superfamily Trochoidea.

Description

Turbinidae have a strong, thick calcareous operculum readily distinguishing them from the somewhat similar Trochidae or top snails, which have a corneous operculum. This strong operculum serves as a passive defensive structure against predators that try to enter by way of the aperture or that would break the shell at the outer lip. These operculum are rounded ovals that are flat with a swirl design on one side and domed on the other. They are known as Pacific cat's eye or Shiva eye shells or mermaid money, and are used for decorative purposes.

Etymology

The common name turban snail presumably refers to the shell's similarity in appearance to a turban. However, the scientific name Turbinidae is based on the genus name Turbo, which is Latin for spinning top, a child's toy. The word turbine has a similar derivation.

Taxonomy

Previously they were classified in the subclass Prosobranchia, in the order Archaeogastropoda in the superfamily Trochacea. Trochaecea is now a synonym for the superfamily Trochoidea. However, this is a quite ancient group of gastropods, probably originating in the Permian period 298 to 250 million years ago. They have typical primitive characters like the nacreous interior of the shell.

2005 taxonomy

Turbinidae belongs to superfamily Turbinoidea according to the taxonomy of the Gastropoda by Bouchet & Rocroi, 2005).

This family consists of eight following subfamilies (according to the taxonomy of the Gastropoda by Bouchet & Rocroi, 2005):

Turbininae Rafinesque, 1815 - synonyms: Senectinae Swainson, 1840; Imperatorinae Gray, 1847; Astraliinae H. Adams & A. Adams, 1854; Astraeinae Davies, 1935; Bolmidae Delpey, 1941
Angariinae Gray, 1857 - synonym: Delphinulinae Stoliczka, 1868
Colloniinae Cossmann, 1917
tribe Colloniini Cossmann, 1917 - synonym: Bothropomatinae Thiele, 1924 (inv.); Homalopomatinae Keen, 1960; Petropomatinae Cox, 1960
tribe Ã¢ÂÂ Adeorbisinini Monari, Conti & szabo, 1995
tribe Ã¢ÂÂ Crossostomatini Cox, 1960
tribe Ã¢ÂÂ Helicocryptini Cox, 1960
Moellerinae Hickman & McLean, 1990
Ã¢ÂÂ Moreanellinae J. C. Fischer & Weber, 1997
Prisogasterinae Hickman & McLean, 1990 - synonym: "Prisogastrinae" in Bouchet & Rocroi (2005) is a spelling error.
Skeneinae W. Clark, 1851 - synonym: Delphinoideinae Thiele, 1924
Tegulinae Kuroda, Habe & Oyama, 1971

2008 taxonomy

Turbinidae was redefined and moved to the redefined superfamily Trochoidea according to Williams et al. (2008): Angariidae was elevated to family level, Colloniinae was elevated to family Colloniidae within Phasianelloidea, Margaritinae was moved to Turbinidae from Trochidae.

This family consists of five following subfamilies according to Williams et al. (2008):

Turbininae Rafinesque, 1815 - synonyms: Senectinae Swainson, 1840; Imperatorinae Gray, 1847; Astraliinae H. Adams & A. Adams, 1854; Astraeinae Davies, 1935; Bolmidae Delpey, 1941
Skeneinae W. Clark, 1851 - synonym: Delphinoideinae Thiele, 1924 (upgraded to the rank of family Skeneidae)
Margaritinae Thiele, 1924 - tribes are sensu taxonomy of the Gastropoda by Bouchet & Rocroi, 2005) - upgraded to the rank of family Margaritidae
tribe Margaritini Thiele, 1924 - synonym: Margaritinae Stoliczka, 1868 (inv.)
tribe Gazini Hickman & McLean, 1990
tribe Kaiparathinini Marshall, 1993
Tegulinae Kuroda, Habe & Oyama, 1971: upgraded to the rank of family Tegulidae Kuroda, Habe & Oyama, 1971
Prisogasterinae Hickman & McLean, 1990

The following subfamilies (sensu Bouchet & Rocroi (2005) classification of subfamilies in Turbinidae) were kept in Turbinidae:

Moellerinae Hickman & McLean, 1990 - Moelleria was not included in the molecular studies performed in 2010.
Ã¢ÂÂ Moreanellinae J. C. Fischer & Weber, 1997

Distribution

Turbinids occur in shallow and deep waters. The family has a large distribution, from the tropics to the polar regions, but most of the species live in tropical and subtropical shallow waters. Over the last 50 years a noticeable decline in both size and quantity of turban snail population has been observed by Ama divers of several regions of Japan.

Genera

Genera in the family Turbinidae include:

Not belonging to any subfamily:

Phanerolepida Dall, 1907
Tropidomarga Powell, 1951

Turbininae

Astraea RÃÂ¶ding, 1798
Astralium Link, 1807
Bellastraea Iredale, 1924
Bolma Risso, 1826
Cookia Lesson, 1832
Guildfordia Gray, 1850
Lithopoma Gray, 1850
Lunella RÃÂ¶ding, 1798
Megastraea McLean, 1970
Modelia Gray, 1850
Pomaulax Gray, 1850
Turbo Linnaeus, 1758 - type genus
Uvanilla Gray, 1850
Yaronia Mienis, 2011

Prisogasterinae Hickman & McLean, 1990

Prisogaster MÃÂ¶rch, 1850

Genera brought into synonymy:

Astrea Link, 1807: synonym of Astraea RÃÂ¶ding, 1798
Agathistoma Olsson & Harbison, 1953: synonym of Tegula Lesson, 1832
Amyxa Troschel, 1852: synonym of Prisogaster MÃÂ¶rch, 1850
Calcar Montfort, 1810: synonym of Astralium Link, 1807
Canthorbis Swainson, 1840: synonym of Astraea RÃÂ¶ding, 1798
Cardinalia Gray, 1842: synonym of Tectus Montfort, 1810
Crosseia P. Fischer, 1885: synonym of Crossea A. Adams, 1865
Cyclocantha Swainson, 1840: synonym of Astralium Link, 1807
Dinassovica Iredale, 1937: synonym of Turbo (Turbo) Linnaeus, 1758 represented as Turbo Linnaeus, 1758
Distellifer Iredale, 1937: synonym of Astralium Link, 1807
Foliastralium Habe & Okutani, 1980: synonym of Astralium Link, 1807
Galeoastraea Habe, 1958: synonym of Bolma Risso, 1826
Halopsephus Rehder, 1943: synonym of Turbo (Halopsephus) Rehder, 1943 represented as Turbo Linnaeus, 1758
Harisazaea Habe, 1958: synonym of Bolma Risso, 1826
Imperator Montfort, 1810: synonym of Astraea RÃÂ¶ding, 1798
Ã¢ÂÂ Incilaster Finlay, 1926: synonym of Bolma Risso, 1826
Livona Gray, 1842: synonym of Cittarium Philippi, 1847
Lunatica RÃÂ¶ding, 1798: synonym of Turbo Linnaeus, 1758
Macropelmus Gistel, 1848: synonym of Astralium Link, 1807
Margarita Leach, 1819: synonym of Margarites Gray, 1847
Micrastraea Cotton, 1939: synonym of Bellastraea Iredale, 1924
Notosetia Iredale, 1915: synonym of Putilla A. Adams, 1867
Okinawastraea Habe & Okutani, 1981: synonym of Astralium Link, 1807
Ã¢ÂÂ Oobolma Sacco, 1896 : synonym of Bolma Risso, 1826
Ã¢ÂÂ Ormastralium Sacco, 1896: synonym of Bolma Risso, 1826
Pachypoma Gray, 1850: synonym of Lithopoma Gray, 1850
Pagocalcar Iredale, 1937: synonym of Astralium Link, 1807
Pseudastralium Schepman, 1908: synonym of Bolma Risso, 1826
Pyramidea Swainson, 1840: synonym of Tectus Montfort, 1810
Pyramis Schumacher, 1817: synonym of Tectus Montfort, 1810
Rugastella Iredale, 1937: synonym of Astralium Link, 1807
Senobolma Okutani, 1964: synonym of Bolma Risso, 1826
Stella P. Fischer, 1885: synonym of Astralium Link, 1807
Submargarita Strebel, 1908: synonym of Lissotesta Iredale, 1915
Tharsiella Bush, 1897: synonym of Cirsonella Angas, 1877
Trochiscus G.B. Sowerby I, 1838: synonym of Norrisia Bayle, 1880
Ã¢ÂÂ Tylastralium Sacco, 1896: synonym of Bolma Risso, 1826
Valvatella Gray, 1857: synonym of Margarites Gray, 1847

References

Marshall, B.A. 1988. Skeneidae, Vitrinellidae and Orbitestellidae (Mollusca: Gastropoda) associated with biogenic substrata from bathyal depths off New Zealand and New South Wales. Journal of Natural History 22(4): 949Ã¢ÂÂ1004.
Vaught, K.C. (1989). A classification of the living Mollusca. American Malacologists: Melbourne, FL (USA). . XII, 195 pp.
Williams S.T., Karube S. & Ozawa T. (2008) Molecular systematics of Vetigastropoda: Trochidae, Turbinidae and Trochoidea redefined. Zoologica Scripta 37: 483Ã¢ÂÂ506.