Turrid, plural turrids, is a common name for a very large group of predatory sea snails, marine gastropod mollusks which until recently were all classified in the family Turridae. However, recently the family was discovered to be polyphyletic and therefore was split into a number of families.
The original family Turridae used to contain more than 4,000 species.Des Beechey (2003). Family Turridae. Turrids. Accessed 30 November 2007. the Turridae (sensu Powell 1966) Powell, A.W.B. (1966) The molluscan families Speightiidae and Turridae an evaluation of the valid taxa, both Recent and fossil, with lists of characteristic species. Bulletin of the Auckland Institute and Museum, 5, 1–184, 23 pls It was the largest mollusk family and the largest group of marine caenogastropods.Bouchet, P. (1997) Inventorying the molluscan diversity of the world: what is our rate of progress? The Veliger, 40, 1–11. There were approximately 27,000 described scientific names (accepted names plus synonyms) within the family Turridae. Turrids constituted more than half of the predatory species of gastropods in some parts of the world (Taylor et al. 1980).Taylor, J.D., Morris, N.J. & Taylor, C.N. (1980) Food specialization and the evolution of predatory prosobranch gastropods. Palaeontology, 23, 375–409 However, this very large family was shown to be polyphyletic, and in 2011 it was divided into 13 separate families by Bouchet, Kantor, Sysoev and Puilandre.
The single most complete collection of turrids in museums worldwide is in the Academy of Natural Sciences of Philadelphia malacology collection; this is because of specialized collecting by the American malacologist Virginia Orr Maes (1920-1986).Robertson R. (1987). "Virginia Orr Maes (1920-1986): Biography and <Malacological Bibliography". Proceedings of the Academy of Natural Sciences of Philadelphia 139: 527-532.
Distribution Turrids are found worldwide in every sea and ocean from both poles to the tropics. They occur from the low-intertidal zone to depths of more than eight thousand metres (e.g., Xanthodaphne levis Sysoev, 1988, collected between 7974–8006 m, in the Bougainville Trench). However, most species of turrids are found in the neritic zone.
Shell description Most turrids are rather small, with a height under 2 cm, but the adult shells of different species are between 0.3 and 11.4 cm in height.
The shape of the shells is more or less fusiform, varying from very high-spired to broadly ovate. The whorls are elongate to broadly conical.
The sculpture is very variable in form, but most have axial sculpture or spiral sculpture (or a combination of both). Others may be reticulate, beaded, nodulose, or striate.
The aperture of the shell very often has a V-shaped sinus or notch, an indentation on the upper end of the outer lip. This accommodates the anal siphonal notch, commonly known as the "turrid notch". The siphonal canal is usually open, varying from short and stocky to long and slender. The position of the turrid notch of the shell and the form and sculpture of the whorls have traditionally been the primary methods of classifying the turrids.
The columella is usually smooth and only seldom shows labial plicae. The operculum is horny, but is not always present.
Turrids are carnivorous, predatory gastropods. Most species have a poison gland used with the toxoglossan radula, used to prey on vertebrates and invertebrate animals (mostly polychaete worms) or in self-defense.Duda, T.F., Jr., Kohn, A.J. & Palumbi, S.R. (2001) Origins of diverse feeding ecologies within Conus, a genus of venomous marine gastropods. Biological Journal of the Linnean Society, 73, 391–409. Some turrids have lost the radula and the poison gland. The radula, when present, has two or three teeth in a row. It lacks lateral teeth and the marginal teeth are of the wishbone or duplex type. The teeth with a duplex form are not shaped from two distinct elements but grow from a flat plate, by thickening at the edges of the teeth and elevation of the rear edge from the membrane.
Female turrids lay their eggs in lens-shaped capsules.
History of the taxonomy The turrids were perceived as one of the most difficult groups to study because of a large number of supra-specific described taxa,Sysoev, A.V. (1993) Appendix 2 Genus-group taxa of Recent Turridae S.L. Bulletin of the Natural History Museum of London, Zoology, 59, 163–169 which are complicated by their species diversity.Sysoev, A.V. (1991) Preliminary analysis of the relationship between turrids (Gastropoda, Toxoglossa, Turridae) with different types of radular apparatus in various Recent and fossil faunas. Ruthenica, 1, 53–66. Although some species of turrids are relatively common, many are rare, some being known only from single specimens; this is another factor that makes studying the group difficult.
2011 taxonomy The previous (2005) classification system for the group was thoroughly changed by the publication in 2011 of the article Bouchet P., Kantor Yu.I., Sysoev A. & Puillandre N. (2011) A new operational classification of the Conoidea. Journal of Molluscan Studies 77: 273-308. The authors presented a new classification of the Conoidea on the genus level, based on anatomical characters but also on the molecular phylogeny as presented by Puillandre N., et al., 2008.Puillandre N., et al., 2008 " Starting to unravel the toxoglossan knot: molecular phylogeny of the “turrids” (Neogastropoda: Conoidea)". Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution 2008;47:1122-1134 The polyphyletic family Turridae was resolved into 13 monophyletic families (containing 358 currently recognized genera and subgenera) : Conorbidae Borsoniidae Clathurellidae Mitromorphidae Mangeliidae Raphitomidae Cochlespiridae Drilliidae Pseudomelatomidae (= Crassispiridae) Clavatulidae Horaiclavidae Turridae s.s. Strictispiridae
2005 taxonomy According to the taxonomy of the Gastropoda by Bouchet & Rocroi, 2005, which attempted to set out a stable taxonomy, this group consisted of the following five subfamilies: Turrinae H. Adams & A. Adams, 1853 (1838) - synonyms: Pleurotominae Gray, 1838; Lophiotominae Morrison, 1965 (n.a.) Cochlespirinae Powell, 1942 Crassispirinae McLean, 1971 - synonym: Belinae A. Bellardi, 1875 Zemaciinae Sysoev, 2003 Zonulispirinae McLean, 1971
Genera Genera in the family Turridae used to include:Turridae. WoRMS, accessed 3 October 2010]Powell A. W. B., New Zealand Mollusca, William Collins Publishers Ltd, Auckland, New Zealand 1979 .
Abyssocomitas Sysoev & Kantor, 1986 Acamptogenotia Rovereto, 1899 Aforia Dall, 1889 Anacithara Hedley, 1922 Ancistrosyrinx Dall, 1881 Anticomitas Powell, 1942 Antiguraleus Powell, 1942 Antimelatoma Powell, 1942 Antiplanes Dall, 1902 Aoteadrillia Powell, 1942 Apiotoma Cossmann, 1889 Asperdaphne Hedley, 1922 Austrodrillia Hedley, 1918 Bathybela Kobelt, 1905 Belalora Powell, 1951 Benthoclionella Kilburn, 1974 Buchema Corea, 1934 Burchia Bartsch, 1944 Calcatodrillia Kilburn, 1988 Carinapex Dall, 1924 Carinodrillia Dall, 1919 Carinoturris Bartsch, 1944 Ceritoturris Dall, 1924 Cheungbeia Taylor & Wells, 1994 Clavatula Lamarck, 1801 Clavosurcula Schepman, 1913 Clavus Montfort, 1810 Clionella Gray, 1847 Cochlespira Conrad, 1865 Compsodrillia Woodring, 1928 Conorbela Powell, 1951 Conticosta Laseron, 1954 Crassiclava McLean, 1971 Crassispira Swainson, 1840 Cretaspira Kuroda & Oyama, 1971 Cryptogemma Dall, 1918 Cymakra Gardner, 1937 Danilacarina Bozzetti, 1997 Daphnella Hinds, 1844 Darrylia Garcia, 2008 Decollidrillia Habe & Ito, 1965 Doxospira McLean, 1971 Eosurcula Epideira Hedley, 1918 Epidirona Iredale, 1931 Fenimorea Bartsch, 1934 Fusiturricula Woodring, 1928 Fusiturris Thiele, 1929 Gemmula Weinkauff, 1875 Graciliclava Shuto, 1983 Haedropleura Monterosato in Bucquoy, Dautzenberg & Dollfus, 1883 Hauturua Powell, 1942 Hemilienardia Boettger, 1895 Heterocithara Hedley, 1922 Hindsiclava Hertlein and Strong, 1955 Horaiclavus Oyama, 1954 Inodrillia Bartsch, 1943 Inquisitor Hedley, 1918 Iotyrris Medinskaya & Sysoev, 2001 Iredalea Oliver, 1915 Irenosyrinx Dall, 1908 Iwaoa Kuroda, 1953 Knefastia Dall, 1919 Kurilohadalia Sysoev & Kantor, 1986 Kurodadrillia Azuma, 1975 Kuroshioturris Shuto, 1961 Leucosyrinx Dall, 1889 :p Lienardia Jousseaume 1884 Lioglyphostoma Woodring, 1928 Lophiotoma Casey, 1904 Lophioturris Powell, 1964 Liracraea Odhner, 1924 Lora Gistl, 1848 Lucerapex Iredale, 1936 Lusitanops F. Nordsieck, 1968 Maesiella McLean, 1971 Makiyamaia Kuroda, 1961 Marshallena Finlay, 1926 Mauidrillia Powell, 1942 Megasurcula Casey, 1904 Microdrillia Casey, 1903 Micropleurotoma Thiele, 1929 Miraclathurella Woodring, 1928 Monilispira Bartsch & Rehder, 1939 Naskia Sysoev & Ivanov, 1985 Neodrillia Bartsch, 1943 Neoguraleus Powell, 1939 Neopleurotomoides Shuto, 1925 Nihonia McNeil, 1961 Nodotoma Bartsch, 1941 Nquma Kilburn, 1988 Oenopota Moerch, 1852 Paradrillia Makiyama, 1940 Perrona Schumacher, 1817 Philbertia Monterosato, 1884 Phymorhynchus Dall, 1908 Pilsbryspira Bartsch, 1950 Pinguigemmula McNeil, 1961 Plicisyrinx Sysoev & Kantor, 1986 Polystira Woodring, 1928 Pseudexomilus Powell, 1944 Pseudotaranis McLean, 1995 Psittacodrillia Kilburn, 1988 Ptychobela Thiele, 1925 Ptychosyrinx Thiele, 1925 Pusionella Gray, 1847 Pyrgospira McLean, 1971 Rectiplanes Bartsch, 1944 Rhodopetoma Bartsch, 1944 Riuguhdrillia Oyama, 1951 Scaevatula Gofas, 1990 Shutonia van der Bijl, 1993 Sinistrella Meyer, 1887 Spirotropis Sars, 1878 Splendrillia Dell, 1956 Steiraxis Dall, 1896 Stenodrillia Korobkov, 1955 Striatoguraleus Kilburn, 1994 Surcula H. Adams & A. Adams, 1853 Teretia Norman, 1888 Tomella Swainson, 1840 Toxiclionella Powell, 1966 Turricula Schumacher, 1817 Turridrupa Hedley, 1922 Turris Röding, 1798 - type genus Unedogemmula MacNeil, 1961 Veprecula Melvill, 1917 Vexitomina Powell, 1942 Viridoturris Powell, 1964 Viridrillia Bartsch, 1943 Vitricythara Fargo, 1953 Zemacies Finlay, 1926 Zonulispira Bartsch, 1950
References
Further reading Kilburn R. N. (1983). "Turridae (Mollusca: Gastropoda) of southern Africa and Mozambique. Part 1. Subfamily Turrinae." Ann. Natal. Mus. 25: 549–585. McLean J. (1971). "A revised classification of the family Turridae, with the proposal of new subfamilies, genera, and subgenera from the Eastern Pacific". Veliger 14: 114–130. Powell A. W. B. (1964). "The family Turridae in the Indo-Pacific. Part 1, The subfamily Turrinae". Indo-Pacific Mollusca 1: 227–345. Tucker J. K. (2004). "Catalog of Recent and fossil turrids (Mollusca: Gastropoda)". Zootaxa 682: 1–1295. preview
External links
(older) Turrid Classification