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Family Volutidae - volutes
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Order |
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Class |
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Gastropoda |
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No. of Genera in Ref. |
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No. of Species in Ref. |
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Environment |
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Fresh : No |
Brackish : No |
Marine : Yes |
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Remark |
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Shell variable in shape, subcylindric or fusiform to swollen and globose with a sunken spire. Surface of shell often smooth, glossy and brightly coloured, sometimes nodulose to spinose on shoulder, or with axial ribs or cancellate sculpture. Aperture long, with a short and wide siphonal canal anteriorly. Inner lip usually with strong, oblique folds, the weaker ones situated posteriorly. Operculum corneous, often absent. Head small, with thin tentacles and sometimes eyes at their bases. Snout moderately short, covered by a hood. Foot broad and large, often colorfully patterned. Mantle well developed, with a long fleshy siphon anteriorly and partially enveloping the shell in life. Active, living on sandy or muddy bottoms, from intertidal flats to deep waters of the continental shelf and slope. Can crawl very quickly over the substrate or bury themselves completely, except for the tip of the long fleshy siphon. Scavengers or carnivores, feeding on a variety of invertebrates, including other molluscs. Sexes separate, fertilization internal. Eggs laid in tough, horny capsules. Each capsule contains many eggs, but only 1 or a few develop, consuming the others for growth. Embryos generally hatching directly as crawling juveniles. As cones and cowries, volutes are popular with collectors, and their shells can attain high prices. As the planktonic laravl stage is absent, there is a great variation in shell form and colour pattern among many species, hence the inflated values demanded for the rare or localized forms. Some of the larger and more common species are also valued for their edible flesh in the tropical Pacific. These are not frequently found in the markets, but fishermen retain all for food. Empty shells are traditionally used in local markets as scoops for sugar, salt, and flour (Ref. 348). |
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