BIOTIC Species Information for Caecum armoricum
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| Researched by | Nicola White | Data supplied by | MarLIN | ||||||||||||
| Refereed by | Dennis R. Seaward | ||||||||||||||
| Taxonomy | |||||||||||||||
| Scientific name | Caecum armoricum | Common name | DeFolin's lagoon snail | ||||||||||||
| MCS Code | W416 | Recent Synonyms | Caecum incomptum Monterosata, 1884 | ||||||||||||
| Phylum | Mollusca | Subphylum | |||||||||||||
| Superclass | Class | Gastropoda | |||||||||||||
| Subclass | Prosobranchia | Order | Mesogastropoda | ||||||||||||
| Suborder | Family | Caecidae | |||||||||||||
| Genus | Caecum | Species | armoricum | ||||||||||||
| Subspecies | |||||||||||||||
| Additional Information | The taxonomy of the Gastropoda has been recently revised (see Ponder & Lindberg 1997, and Taylor 1996). Ponder & Lindberg (1997) suggest that Mesogastropoda should be included in a monophyletic clade, the Caenogastropoda. | ||||||||||||||
| Taxonomy References | Howson & Picton, 1997, Barnes, 1994, Aartsen & Hoenselaar, 1984, Seaward, 1989, Ponder, 1990, Ponder & Lindberg, 1997, Taylor, 1996, | ||||||||||||||
| General Biology | |||||||||||||||
| Growth form | Cylindrical |
Feeding method | Sub-surface deposit feeder |
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| Mobility/Movement | Crawler |
Environmental position | Interstitial |
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| Typical food types | vegetable detritus and ?bacterial and diatom film. | Habit | Free living | ||||||||||||
| Bioturbator | Not relevant | Flexibility | None (< 10 degrees) | ||||||||||||
| Fragility | Robust | Size | Very small(<1cm) | ||||||||||||
| Height | Insufficient information | Growth Rate | Insufficient information | ||||||||||||
| Adult dispersal potential | Not researched | Dependency | Independent | ||||||||||||
| Sociability | Gregarious | ||||||||||||||
| Toxic/Poisonous? | No | ||||||||||||||
| General Biology Additional Information | Little is known of the biology of this species. Early shell form is a spiral disc of about one whorl. Subsequent growth is tangential, slightly curved and tapering. As the shell tube lengthens, the animal's body only occupies the newer part of the shell near the mouth. A septum is laid down closing off the unwanted part of the shell which then breaks off, keeping the shell small, this is repeated throughout the animals life. It is presumably an adaptation to interstitial life. | ||||||||||||||
| Biology References | Seaward, 1987, | ||||||||||||||
| Distribution and Habitat | |||||||||||||||
| Distribution in Britain & Ireland | Only recorded living from The Fleet, Dorset. One shell record from Connemara, W. Ireland (J.E. Phorson, per. comm..) | ||||||||||||||
| Global distribution | Shell records from the Black Sea, Mediterranean, Azores, Canary Isles and the Atlantic coast from Gibraltar to the Channel. The only other known live colony is from a site in the south Gibraltar Strait, N. Africa. | ||||||||||||||
| Biogeographic range | Not researched | Depth range | See additional information | ||||||||||||
| Migratory | Non-migratory / Resident | ||||||||||||||
| Distribution Additional Information | Found in the mid to lower eulittoral within marine percolation. The fleet population occurs at depth within loose shingle of about 2 cm size, where sea water percolates and where soft flocculent silty material is present but leaving plenty space subject to gently flowing water. Molluscan associates are another small prosobranch Onoba aculeus and the bivalve Lasaea adansoni; in the pale variety pallida. | ||||||||||||||
| Substratum preferences | Gravel / shingle |
Physiographic preferences | Isolated saline water (Lagoon) |
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| Biological zone | Mid Eulittoral Lower Eulittoral |
Wave exposure | Very Sheltered |
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| Tidal stream strength/Water flow | Very Weak (negligible) |
Salinity | Variable (18-40 psu) |
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| Habitat Preferences Additional Information | |||||||||||||||
| Distribution References | Barnes, 1994, Seaward, 1987, Seaward, 1989, Hoeksema & Segers, 1993, | ||||||||||||||
| Reproduction/Life History | |||||||||||||||
| Reproductive type | Insufficient information |
Developmental mechanism | Insufficient information |
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| Reproductive Season | Insufficient information | Reproductive Location | Insufficient information | ||||||||||||
| Reproductive frequency | Insufficient information | Regeneration potential | No | ||||||||||||
| Life span | Insufficient information | Age at reproductive maturity | Insufficient information | ||||||||||||
| Generation time | Insufficient information | Fecundity | Insufficient information | ||||||||||||
| Egg/propagule size | Insufficient information | Fertilization type | Insufficient information | ||||||||||||
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| Reproduction Preferences Additional Information | Dispersal potential is likely to be low. | ||||||||||||||
| Reproduction References | |||||||||||||||
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