Charonia tritonis
{{Short description|Species of gastropod}}
{{notconfuse|Monoplex parthenopeus}}
{{Speciesbox
| name = Triton’s trumpet
| status =
| status_system = IUCN2.3
| image = Caracola marina (Charonia Tritonis), Cynthiana, Pafos, Chipre, 2021-12-11, DD 14.jpg
| image_caption = A live Charonia tritonis
| image2 = Charonia.png
| image2_caption = A shell of C. tritonis with its operculum in place in the aperture
| taxon = Charonia tritonis
| authority = (Linnaeus, 1758)
}}
Charonia tritonis, common name the Triton's trumpet, the giant triton or {{lang|haw|pū|italic=unset}}{{Hawaiian Dictionaries|pū|id=D18711}} is a species of very large sea snail, a marine gastropod mollusc in the family Charoniidae, the tritons.{{WRMS species|141102|Charonia tritonis (Linnaeus, 1758)||4 December 2018}} Reaching up to two feet (or 60 cm) in shell length this is one of the biggest mollusks in the coral reef.{{cite web|url=http://eol.org/pages/403845/details |title=Descriptions and articles about the Triton's Trumpet (Charonia tritonis) - Encyclopedia of Life |publisher=Eol.org |date=2011-02-16 |accessdate=2014-12-07}}
Distribution
This species is found throughout the Indo-Pacific Oceans, Red Sea included.
Description
Feeding habits
C. tritonis is one of the few animals to feed on the crown-of-thorns starfish, Acanthaster planci. Occasional plagues of this large and destructive starfish have killed extensive areas of coral on the Great Barrier Reef of Australia and the western Pacific reefs. The triton has been described as tearing the starfish to pieces with its file-like radula.{{cite journal|last=Powell|first=G|title=Stars for kings|journal=Sea Frontiers|year=1979|volume=25|issue=5|pages=282–285}}
Human use
File:2002 Indonesia stamp Charonia tritonis.jpg.]]
The shell is well known as a decorative object, and is sometimes modified for use as a trumpet (such as the Japanese horagai, the Maldivian sangu, the Hawaiian pū (hoʻokani) or the Māori pūtātara).
Much debate has occurred on whether plagues of crown-of-thorns starfish are natural or are caused by overfishing of the few organisms that can eat this starfish, including C. tritonis. In 1994, Australia proposed that C. tritonis should be put on the CITES list, thereby attempting to protect the species.[http://cites.org/sites/default/files/eng/cop/09/prop/E09-Prop-69_Charonia.PDF Proposal: Inclusion of the giant triton Charonia tritonis on Appendix II], CITES. Because of a lack of trade data concerning this seashell, the Berne Criteria from CITES were not met, and the proposal was consequently withdrawn. While this species may be protected in Australia and other countries (such as India),[http://envfor.nic.in/legis/wildlife/so665(e).doc India Ministry of Environment and Forests Notification S.O. 665(E)] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140104074503/http://envfor.nic.in/legis/wildlife/so665(e).doc |date=2014-01-04 }}. New Delhi, 11 July 2001.] it can be legally traded and is found for sale in many shell shops around the world and on the internet.
References
{{Reflist}}
Bibliography
{{refbegin}}
- {{cite book |authorlink=Arthur William Baden Powell |last=Powell|first=A.W.B.|title=New Zealand Mollusca |date=1979|publisher=Collins|location=Auckland|isbn=0-00-216906-1}}
{{refend}}
External links
{{Commons category|Charonia tritonis}}
- [http://doris.ffessm.fr/fiche2.asp?fiche_numero=2116 doriss.ffessm.fr]
- [https://web.archive.org/web/20111009114834/http://na.oceana.org/en/explore/creatures/crown-of-thorns-starfish na.oceana.org]
- [https://web.archive.org/web/20101224051528/http://cites.org/eng/cop/09/E9-ComI.pdf cites.org] (PDF)
- {{sealifephotos|141102}}
{{Taxonbar|from=Q1472765}}
Category:Gastropods described in 1758
Category:Taxa named by Carl Linnaeus
{{Caenogastropoda-stub}}