Epidendrium billeeanum

Epidendrium billeeanum
Two live individuals of Epidendrium billeeanum and a mass of egg capsules, in situ on their food source, a cup coral
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Mollusca
Class: Gastropoda
(unranked): clade Caenogastropoda

clade Hypsogastropoda
informal group Ptenoglossa

Superfamily: Epitonioidea
Family: Epitoniidae
Genus: Epidendrium
Species: E. billeeanum
Binomial name
Epidendrium billeeanum
(DuShane & Bratcher, 1965à
Synonyms[1]
  • Alora billeeana (DuShane & Bratcher, 1965)
  • Epitonium billeeanum (DuShane & Bratcher, 1965)
  • Scalina billeeana DuShane & Bratcher, 1965

Epidendrium billeeanum, commonly known as the Yellow sea snail or the Golden wentletrap, is a species of small predator and ectoparasite sea snail, a marine gastropod mollusc in the family Epitoniidae, the wentletraps. [1]

Distribution

This species is widespread throughout the tropical waters of the Indo-Pacific and the occidental Pacific Ocean including the Red Sea, Hawaii and the Galapagos.[2]

Description

The Golden wentletrap has a bright yellow helicoidal shell which grows up to 1 cm in length. It's often found on corals from genus Tubastraea on which it feeds.[3]

References

  1. 1 2 WoRMS (2010). Epidendrium billeeanum (DuShane & Bratcher, 1965). In: Bouchet, P.; Gofas, S.; Rosenberg, G. (2010) World Marine Mollusca database. Accessed through: World Register of Marine Species at http://www.marinespecies.org/aphia.php?p=taxdetails&id=523762 on 2010-11-23
  2. ↑ http://doris.ffessm.fr/fiche2.asp?fiche_numero=1330
  3. ↑ http://doris.ffessm.fr/fiche2.asp?fiche_numero=1330
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Epitonium billeeanum.
This article is issued from Wikipedia - version of the 5/4/2014. The text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution/Share Alike but additional terms may apply for the media files.