Tonna canaliculata

Tonna canaliculata is a species of large sea snail, a marine gastropod mollusk in the family Tonnidae, the tun shells.[2]

Tonna canaliculata
A live species of Tonna canaliculata
Scientific classification
Kingdom:
Animalia
Phylum:
Mollusca
Class:
Gastropoda
(unranked):
clade Caenogastropoda
clade Hypsogastropoda
clade Littorinimorpha
Superfamily:
Tonnoidea
Family:
Tonnidae
Genus:
Tonna
Species:
T. canaliculata
Binomial name
Tonna canaliculata
(Linnaeus, 1758)[1]
Synonyms[2]
  • Buccinum galea Wood, 1825
  • Buccinum olearium Bruguière, 1789
  • Buccinum olearium Dillwyn, 1817
  • Bulla canaliculata Linnaeus, 1758
  • Cadium olearium Link, 1807
  • Cadus cepa Röding, 1798
  • Dolium cepa Martini, 1777
  • Dolium marmoreum Schröter in Martini, 1788

Description

This type of sea snail is distinguished from many others by the fact that its fleshy foot is so much larger than its shell. As with land snails, this gastropod ("stomach-footed") secretes mucous which helps it glide across the bottom. Although I have often heard this type of snail labeled as a "bubble shell" by divers, in fact this animal is a member of the subclass Prosobranchia (snails) as compared to the subclass to which bubble shells belong, Opisthobranchia (bubble shells, sea hares, nudibranchs and others). A third subclass of class Gastropoda is Pulmonata (land snails and land slugs).

Its shell length varies between 30 mm and 145 mm., with its long siphon (for respiration) and tentacles (with eyes at their base) clearly visible. Tuns are known for their thin shells. They are night predators and are usually seen in sandy areas, feeding on bivalve molluscs (clams, oysters, mussels and scallops) and sea cucumbers.

Distribution

This marine species occurs in the Indo-Pacific.

References
  1. Linnaeus C. (1758). Systema Naturae. Editio Decima, Tomus I. Holmiae [Stockholm: Laurentii Salvii.]. World Register of Marine Species, Retrieved 9 July 2010.
  2. Tonna canaliculata (Linnaeus, 1758). Vos, C. (2009). Tonna canaliculata (Linnaeus, 1758). Accessed through the World Register of Marine Species at http://www.marinespecies.org/aphia.php?p=taxdetails&id=208008 on 9 July 2010 .
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