Carinaria cithara forma elata Sowerby, 1895

Overview

This is a large shelled pelagic snail, up to 5 cm long, with an almost completely transparent body. The body can never withdraw into the shell. The shell is high pyramidal bending forward. Only the broad triangular visceral nucleus is darkly pigmented. The large eyes, with black retina, and the mouth organs are clearly seen. The intestine is frequently full and visible. The body is long and cylindrical with one swimming fin. It hunts large prey such as fish, shelled pteropods and other heteropods. It lives in upper layers of the warm waters of the Indo-Pacific. (Carinaria c. elata).

Taxonomic Description

This forma is rarely found by Tesch and Tokioka. It differs from the forma cithara by the anterior edge of the shell, being slightly concave, while the posterior edge is nearly imperceptibly convex; so that the shell bends forwards. The soft parts are unknown, though Tesch (1949) found specimens "associated" with the shells of this forma which were identical to those of the forma cithara.

Juveniles

The juveniles have a small, dextrally coiled shell. A special description is not available.

Reproduction

In this form the sexes are separate.

Ecology

This form is carnivorous and epipelagic.

Distribution

This form is recorded from the N-Indian Ocean and W-Pacific Ocean, see the Carinaria c. elata map.

Types

Carinaria elata Sowerby, 1895: 16 + fig.
Syntypes: 2 spec. (dry collection) not found in BMNH
Type locality: W-Pacific. Coll.: Capt. Eudel.

Kingdom Animalia
Phylum Mollusca
Class Gastropoda
Subclass Streptoneura
Order Mesogastropoda
Superfamily Atlantacea
Family Carinariidae
Genus Carinaria
Species Carinaria cithara
Forma elata

Status in World Register of Marine Species

Not included in WoRMS database

Scientific synonyms and common names

Carinaria cithara forma elata Sowerby, 1895

Synonyms

Carinaria elata n. sp. Sowerby, 1895: 16
Carinaria cithara procumbens n. sp. Tesch, 1949: 29
Carinaria cithara var. procumbens Tokioka, 1961: 61
Carinaria cithara forma procumbens Van der Spoel, 1972c: 554

Sowerby, G. B., 1895. Notes on the genus Carinaria, with an enumeration of the species and the description of a new form. Proc. Malac. Soc. London 1: 14-16, 5 figs.

Tesch, J. J., 1906a. Heteropoda der Siboga expeditie. Siboga Rep. 51: 1-112, 14 pls.

Tesch, J. J., 1949. Heteropoda. Dana Rep. 34: 1-55, 5 pls.

Tokioka, T., 1961. The structure of the operculum of the species of Atlantidae (Gastropoda: Heteropoda) as a taxonomic criterion, with records of some pelagic mollusks in the North Pacific. Publ. Seto mar. biol. Lab. 9(2): 267-332 (art. 15, pp. 1-86).

Spoel, S. van der, 1972c. Notes on the identification and speciation of Heteropoda (Gastropoda). Zool. Meded. 47: 545-560.

Spoel, S. van der, 1976c. Pseudothecosomata, Gymnosomata and Heteropoda. Bohn, Scheltema & Holkema, Utrecht. 484 pp. 246 figs.

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