Turbinidae

Turbinidae, also known as turban snails, are a family of small to large marine snails. These creatures belong to the group of gastropod molluscs, which means they are a type of sea snail with a single shell. Turban snails live in ocean environments and are part of a larger group called the Trochoidea superfamily. These snails are interesting because of their beautiful, spiral shells and their important role in marine ecosystems.

Description

Turbinidae, also called turban snails, have a special hard cover called an operculum that sets them apart from similar snails known as top snails. This operculum helps protect the snail from animals that might try to harm it. The operculum is shaped like a rounded oval, with a flat side and a domed side, and often has a beautiful swirl design. These shells are sometimes called Pacific cat's eye or Shiva eye shells and are used for decoration.

Etymology

The common name turban snail comes from the shell looking like a turban. The scientific name Turbinidae is based on the genus name Turbo, which means spinning top in Latin, a toy children play with. The word turbine has a similar meaning.

Taxonomy

Turbinidae, also known as turban snails, are a family of small to large sea snails. They have been grouped in different ways by scientists over time.

Earlier, they were placed in a group called Prosobranchia. Today, they are part of the Trochoidea superfamily. These snails are very old, possibly dating back to the Permian period, which was about 298 to 250 million years ago. They have simple shell features, such as a shiny inner layer called nacre.

In 2005, scientists placed Turbinidae in the Turbinoidea superfamily. By 2008, the grouping changed again, moving Turbinidae to the Trochoidea superfamily. Some groups were raised to their own family levels, while others stayed within Turbinidae.

Distribution

Turbinids, or turban snails, live in both shallow and deep waters. They are found all over the world, from tropical areas to polar regions, but most live in warm, shallow waters near the tropics and subtropics. In the past 50 years, people have noticed that the number and size of turban snails have gone down in some parts of Japan.

Genera

Genera in the family Turbinidae include:

Not belonging to any subfamily

• Phanerolepida Dall, 1907
• Tropidomarga Powell, 1951

Turbininae

• Astraea Röding, 1798
• Astralium Link, 1807
• Bellastraea Iredale, 1924
• Bolma Risso, 1826
• Cookia Lesson, 1832
• Guildfordia Gray, 1850
• Lithopoma Gray, 1850
• Lunella Röding, 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 Mörch, 1850

Genera brought into synonymy

• Astrea Link, 1807: synonym of Astraea Röding, 1798
• Agathistoma Olsson & Harbison, 1953: synonym of Tegula Lesson, 1832
• Amyxa Troschel, 1852: synonym of Prisogaster Mörch, 1850
• Calcar Montfort, 1810: synonym of Astralium Link, 1807
• Canthorbis Swainson, 1840: synonym of Astraea Röding, 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 Röding, 1798
• † Incilaster Finlay, 1926: synonym of Bolma Risso, 1826
• Livona Gray, 1842: synonym of Cittarium Philippi, 1847
• Lunatica Röding, 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
• † Oobolma Sacco, 1896 : synonym of Bolma Risso, 1826
• † 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
• † Tylastralium Sacco, 1896: synonym of Bolma Risso, 1826
• Valvatella Gray, 1857: synonym of Margarites Gray, 1847