Linatella caudata

This species is very widespread (but uncommon). It is present in European waters, in the Mediterraneal Sea, in the Western Atlantic from South Carolina to Brazil, in the Canary Islands, Cape Verde, in the Red Sea and in the Indian Ocean along Tanzania and in the Indo-West Pacific as far north as southern Japan.Galli C.: [http://www.bagniliggia.it/WMSD/SearchSpecies.php?freeText=&inputFamily=&inputGenus=LINATELLA&inputSpecies=CAUDATA&inputVariety=&inputAuthor=&B1=Search WMSDB - Worldwide Mollusc Species Data Base][http://www.discoverlife.org/mp/20m?kind=Linatella+caudata Discover life]

These sea snails are usually found in seagrass meadows. They live only on soft substrates on the shelf at depths of 20 to 200 m.[http://tidechaser.blogspot.it/2012/10/tritons-trumpet-shell-ranellidae.html Tritons & Trumpet Shell (Phylum Mollusca: Family Ranellidae) of Singapore][http://www.gns.cri.nz/static/Mollusca/taxa/BM524.html Revised descriptions of New Zealand Cenozoic Mollusca from Beu and Maxwell (1990)]

File: Ranellidae - Linatella caudata.JPG of Linatella caudata from Sicily, on display at the Museo Civico di Storia Naturale di Milano]]

The size of an adult shell varies between 35 mm and 100 mm. These medium-sized shells are extremely variable in size, thickness, prominence, quantity of flare of the outer lip and thickness and width of the inner lip. Also very variable are the spire height and the intensity of the surface coloration. Commonly they have a hairy appearance and are solid and thick and show a Tonna-like form and moderately tall spire, with a very weak sculpture of low, weakly convex surfaced, spiral cords. The whorls are weak shouldered. They lack obvious varices or only the terminal varix is developed. The outer lip is flared and slightly thickened, with weakly shouldered whorls. The anterior siphonal canal is moderately long.

The interior of outer lip flare has sixteen low transverse ridges. The exterior surface of the shell varies between cream to pale yellowish-brown, with irregular, narrow light and darker bands. The body of these sea snails are brownish with black spots.Jan Delsing [https://www.biolib.cz/en/taxon/id605946/ Biolib]Beu: Taxonomy of Gastropods from the families Ranellidae and Bursidae, 1986

These sea snails have been reported as feeding on Fan Shells (Pinna bicolor) and on the pearl oyster (Pinctada imbricata). Consequently, they are considered a serious problem for the aquaculture of marine bivalves.{{cite journal| doi=10.1016/j.aquaculture.2012.03.037 | volume=354-355 | title=Annual recruitment, predation rates and biocontrol of Linatella caudata (Mollusca: Gastropoda) in suspended enclosure culture of the pearl oyster Pinctada imbricata | year=2012 | journal=Aquaculture | pages=75–83 | last1 = Malavé | first1 = Carmen | last2 = Freites | first2 = Luis | last3 = Lodeiros | first3 = Cesar | last4 = Mendoza | first4 = Jeremy | last5 = Troccoli | first5 = Luis | last6 = Dale | first6 = Andrew W.}}

{{Reflist}}

• [http://www.cotebleue.org/erinacea.html Cote Bleue]

• Bouchet, P.; Gofas, S. (2015). Cymatium cutaceum (Lamarck, 1816).
• Gofas, S.; Le Renard, J.; Bouchet, P. (2001). Mollusca, in: Costello, M.J. et al. (Ed.) (2001). European register of marine species: a check-list of the marine species in Europe and a bibliography of guides to their identification. Collection Patrimoines Naturels, 50: pp. 180–213
• Rolán E., 2005. Malacological Fauna From The Cape Verde Archipelago. Part 1, Polyplacophora and Gastropoda.
• Spry, J.F. (1961). The sea shells of Dar es Salaam: Gastropods. Tanganyika Notes and Records 56
• Turgeon, D. D., A. E. Bogan, E. V. Coan, W. K. Emerson, W. G. Lyons, W. Pratt, et al. (1988) Common and scientific names of aquatic invertebrates from the United States and Canada: mollusks, American Fisheries Society Special Publication 16
• Turgeon, D. D., J. F. Quinn, Jr., A. E. Bogan, E. V. Coan, F. G. Hochberg, W. G. Lyons, et al. (1998) Common and scientific names of aquatic invertebrates from the United States and Canada: Mollusks, 2nd ed., American Fisheries Society Special Publication 26

{{Taxonbar|from=Q3167323}}

Category:Cymatiidae

Category:Gastropods described in 1791

Category:Taxa named by Johann Friedrich Gmelin

Category:Molluscs of the Atlantic Ocean

Category:Molluscs of the Indian Ocean

Category:Molluscs of the Pacific Ocean

Category:Molluscs of the Mediterranean Sea