Naticarius hebraeus (Martyn, 1786)

Huelsken, Thomas, Marek, Carina, Schreiber, Stefan, Schmidt, Iris & Mann, Michael Holl-, 2008, The Naticidae (Mollusca: Gastropoda) of Giglio Island (Tuscany, Italy): Shell characters, live animals, and a molecular analysis of egg masses, Zootaxa 1770, pp. 1-40 : 18-19

Naticarius hebraeus (Martyn, 1786) — Fig. 6A [egg mass: Figs. 3 , 11 G, g]

Nerita hebraea Martyn, 1786 . The universal conchologist, exhibiting the figure of every known shell, accurately drawn, and painted afternature with a new systematic arrangement by the author Thomas Martyn. London, T. Martyn. 4, Vol. 3, pl. 109

+ Nerita stercusmuscarum sensu auct. [non Gmelin 1791]. Sabelli et al. (1990), p. 170

+ Natica maculatus von Salis, 1793, p. 379. Sabelli et al. (1990), p. 170

+ Natica millepunctata sensu auct. [non Lamarck, 1822]. Sabelli et al. (1990), p. 170

+ Nacca maxima Risso, 1826 . Sabelli et al. (1990), p. 170

+ Natica adspersa Menke, 1830 . Sabelli et al. (1990), p. 170

Naticarius hebraeus (Martyn, 1786) . Kobelt (1901), pp. 76–78, pl. 52, figs. 1–8; Sabelli & Spada (1977), p. 9, fig. 2; Schiró (1978b), p. 5, fig. 2 (second row); Nordsieck (1982), p. 186, pl. 57, fig. 63.11; Riedel (1983), pp. 287–288, pl. 98 figured; Barash & Danin (1992), pp. 107–108, fig. 115, Terreni (1981), p. 31

Natica hebraea (Martyn, 1786) . Hidalgo (1917), p. 486; Villa (1985), pp. 106–107

Natica (Naticarius) hebraea (Martyn, 1786) . Settepassi (1972), vol. III, p. 26, pl. 3; Demir, (2002), p. 110

+ Naticarius cruentatus (Gmelin, 1791) . Poppe & Goto (1991), p. 119, pl. 16, figs. 18–20

+ Natica cruentata (Gmelin, 1791) . Alf et al. (1993), p. 190, fig. 4

Description

Size: Up to 59.2 mm maximal obtainable diameter (m.o.d.) ( Italy; Hutsell et al. 2001). Specimens (n = 58) from Giglio Island: 8.1–47.5 mm (mean: 29.6 ± 0.8 mm) height; 7.8–47.1 mm (mean: 29.4 ± 0.7 mm) width. Ratio [h/w] = 1.01 ± 0.005. Aperture approximately 79% of shell height.

General shape: Globose, large bodywhorl, relatively thin-shelled for its size, with 4.5 convex, slightly tabulated whorls and adpressed sutures [teleoconch: 3.5].

Sculpture: Minute barely visible axial growth striae, stronger and easy visible below suture. Shell color: White, cream or yellowish background with dense irregularly arrranged, blurred, brownish dots that have a tendency to coalesce into larger blotches and bands.

Protoconch: Uncolored, one embryonal whorl.

Aperture & outer lip: Aperture half moon-shaped, oblique, angled anteriorly, rounded at the bottom, fairly thick basal callus; external lip simple, sharp. Fairly thick parietal callus, covering 1/4 to 1/3 of inner lip.

Umbilical area: Wide open, brownish, with well-defined strong, U-shaped, funicle with growth marks, positioned slightly below middle of the umbilical area; funicular callus not enlarged, inner lip without callus. Operculum: Calcareous with numerous narrow, sharply-raised ribs; ribs sometimes mushroom-shaped, with base more narrow than top. Number of ribs varies considerably, independently of body size, from below 10 to> 25, innermost ribs sometimes fused to form flat areas.

Animal: Mesopodium and propodium surround shell to same width during crawling; irregularly arrranged, blurred, brownish dots and bands distributed over the entire foot; tentacles colored dark; animal unable to cover entire shell with mesopodium; only lower fringe of shell covered.

Egg mass: Flexible, inwardly cambered, paucispiral coiled band of mucus-cemented sand grains ( Figs. 3 , 11 G/g), 1.25 circles; outer diameter 7.5 mm (n = 1).

Differential diagnosis: Irregular brownish dots, strong funicle, operculum with numerous sharp ribs, and large size easily distinguish the species from all other Mediterranean naticids except for N. stercusmuscarum . For differences to N. stercusmuscarum , see under that species.

Geographical distribution

Giglio Island: Campese Bay (1),´ Swiss House ´(9), Pt. del Faraglione (2), Pt. delle Secche (3) Alf et al. (1993):´Found singularly at the beach after storm at Bay of Campese, Giglio Island.´General distribution: Contrary to several publications ( Hidalgo 1917, Schirò 1977), this species is probably strictly Mediterranean, ubiquitous and common from the Strait of Gibraltar to the Aegean Sea (Demir 2002).

Figures

FIGURE 3: Photos of all egg masses used for molecular analysis (see Figure 1) in this study. For details concerning collection sites and the sequences amplified see Table 2. The pictures were taken immediately after the collars has been collected. DNA samples from egg masses were marked with C followed by a reference number when DNA was extracted directly from an egg mass; they were marked with L followed by a reference number if DNA extraction was performed from hatched larvae. Scale bars represent 0.5 cm.

FIGURE 6: A, Naticarius hebraeus (Martyn, 1786); B, Notocochlis dillwynii (Payraudeau, 1826). Further details as in Figure 3. Scale bars represent 0.5 cm.

FIGURE 11: Naticid egg masses collected on Giglio Island. A / a, Neverita josephinia (Campese Bay); B / b, probably Tectonatica rizzae (Pt. delle Secche); C / c, Notocochlis dillwynii (Pt. delle Secche); D / d, Notocochlis dillwynii (Cala dell´Allume); E / e, Notocochlis dillwynii (Fenaio); F / f, Tectonatica sagraiana (Campese Bay); G / g, Naticarius hebraeus (Pt. del Morto); H-I, egg capsules in egg masses of T. sagraiana (10 days old); J-K, egg capsules in egg masses of N. josephinia (1 day old).