Ceratostoma, common name the "hornmouth" snails, is a genus of medium to large predatory sea snails, marine gastropod mollusks in the family Muricidae, the rock snails.MolluscaBase eds. (2020). MolluscaBase. Ceratostoma Herrmannsen, 1846. Accessed through: World Register of Marine Species at: http://www.marinespecies.org/aphia.php?p=taxdetails&id=240766 on 2020-07-31
This genus should not be confused with the nudibranch genus Ceratosoma, meaning "thorn body". Ceratostoma means "thorn mouth" because of the thornlike projection on the edge of the aperture, used as a tool in predation to prop open the shells of bivalves and barnacles.
Species Species within the genus Ceratostoma include: Ceratostoma burnetti (Adams & Reeve, 1849) Ceratostoma foliatum (Gmelin, 1791) Ceratostoma fournieri (Crosse, 1861) Ceratostoma monoceros (G. B. Sowerby II, 1841) Ceratostoma nuttalli Conrad, 1837 Ceratostoma rorifluum (Adams & Reeve, 1849)
Species brought into synonymy: Ceratostoma inornatum (Récluz, 1851) accepted as Pteropurpura (Ocinebrellus) inornata (Récluz, 1851) accepted as Ocenebra inornata (Récluz, 1851) Ceratostoma varicosum (Kuroda, 1953) accepted as Genkaimurex varicosus (Kuroda, 1953)
References
WoRMS listing
External links Herrmannsen, A. N. (1846-1852). Indicis Generum Malacozoorum primordia. Fischer, Cassel. Vol. 1: i-xxviii, 1-637 pp