Description

 

The family Fasciolariidae contains a wide variety of groups, such as the tulip shells, the horse conchs, and the spindle shells, comprising about 35 species. All of them are carnivorous, usually feeding on bivalves and other snails. Most of them live near coral reefs or rocks offshore in tropical and semitropical waters.

Shells of the Genus Fasciolaria (tulips) are densely porcelain-like and rather large. They have a large body whorl, two or more folds on the columella, a short syphonal canal, and may be attractively patterned. Fasciolaria gigantea, is one of the largest known among marine snails.

Shells of the Genus Latirus are rather similar to Fasciolaria, but with ornamented tubercles (knobs) arranged in spiral rows, so are the shells of the Genus Pleuroploca (horse conchs). The horse conchs have spiral lines visible in the aperture, unlike the Latirus Shells.

Shells of the Genus Fusinus (spindle shells) have characteristically long syphonal canal and equally matched long spire, well delineated sutures, knobs and vertical folds, and both spiral ribs and spiral ridges visible inside the aperture. Some have a left handed spiral.

Classification

Class: Gastropoda

Clade: Neogastropoda

Superfamily: Buccinoidea

Family: Fasciolariidae

 

Major Genera

• Genus: Fasciolaria
• Genus: Fusinus
• Genus: Latirus
• Genus: Leucozonia
• Genus: Opeatostoma
• Genus: Peristernia
• Genus: Pleuroploca
• Genus: Sinistralia

Fusinus salisburyi (Fulton, 1930)
Salisbury's Spindle
uncommon

Fusinus dupetitthouarsi (Kiener, 1846)
DuPetitt's Spindle Shell
Baja California

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