Dove Shells of the Collumbellidae Family
Seven Dove Shells of the Collumbellidae Family can be found in this website:
Phylogeny: Dove Shells of the Columbellidae Family are gastropod mollusks in the Neogastropoda order. Neogastropods are characterized by having a long siphonal canal, a well developed siphonal notch, and a specialized radula. Many species in this order have a narrow aperture. Neogastropods are primarily marine snails and most of the well-known shell families are in this order. The Columbellidae Family is in the superfamily Buccinoidea, which is one of seven superfamilies in this order. Superfamily Buccinoidea consists of twenty families. There are nine stand alone genera in the Columbellidae Family along with two subfamilies – Atiliinae with six genera and Columbellinae with sixty-two genera. There are around nine hundred nineteen species in this family.
Description: The Columbellidae Family is a very large and diverse collection of shells . The shells very greatly in shape and coloration both between, and within, species. In general, they are thick, spindle-shaped shells that may be narrow and elongated, with many whorls, or broader with fewer whorls. In some the body whorl is more than half the length of the shell, in others it is less than one-third the length. Their spires may be short and rounded or long and sharp. Dove Shells have an elongated aperture, running from one-fifth to one-half the shells length. The outer lip of the aperture is usually dentate – marked with smooth “teeth”, and may be flared. The columella may have denticles, but not folds. They have an open anterior canal. Many species have a smooth exterior and some have external sculpting consisting of axial and/or spiral ridges. Shells in this family tend to be whitish or various shades of brown, often with spots, bands, or stripes. Most Dove Shells are covered with a periostracum. The operculum is smaller than the aperture. Dove shells range in size from very small to medium-sized. The largest Dove Shell is 3.0 cm (1.2 inches) in length.
Habitat and Distribution: Doves are found on gravel, mud, plants, rock, rubble, gravel, mud, and sand. The live in the intertidal zone, and at depths up to 1,000 m (3,280 feet). Some sources extend the maximum depth to 2,000 m (6,560 feet). They are found worldwide in tropical to temperate seas. Seventy species from the Columbellidae Family are found in Mexican waters.
Natural History: The diets of Dove Shells vary by species. They may be scavenging carnivores, herbivores, omnivores or carnivorous predators. In turn they are preyed upon by crabs, fish, predatory mollusks and shorebirds. They are gonochoric and reproduce sexually, with internal fertilization. Their eggs are laid in protective capsules. Dove Shells tend to be more physically active than most gastropods. They can be observed crawling along the bottom of tidal pools or mudflats at low tide. Their empty shells often provide housing for hermit crabs.