Cantharidus
A genus of marine snails with iridescent shells and wide distribution.
Last updated
Manuel CABALLER · CC BY 4.0
The genus was established by Montfort in 1810 and is accepted by both WoRMS and GBIF.[1][2] GBIF holds 10,321 occurrence records for this taxon as of 7 October 2026.[2]
Scientific classification
- KingdomAnimalia
- PhylumMollusca
- ClassGastropoda
- SubclassVetigastropoda
- OrderTrochida
- FamilyTrochidae
- GenusCantharidus
Named by Montfort, 1810
Sources: Wikipedia taxobox: Cantharidus (CC BY-SA 4.0)
Quick Facts
- Type species
- Trochus iris
Facts from the source article.
Biology and range
The genus is marine and belongs to the order Trochida.[1] The shell lacks an umbilicus, has a surface that is either smooth or bears spiral sculpture, and displays a brilliant iridescence on its interior.[3] Bright and varied hues are typical of the shell's coloration.[3] The aperture is ovate, longer than it is wide, and its length is less than half the total shell length.[3]
Near its base, the columella typically features a fold or tooth.[3] On each side, there are five lateral teeth, which progressively become larger from the innermost to the outermost.[3] A simple cusp on the central tooth is the sole feature that distinguishes Cantharidus from Gibbula.[3]
What the specialist sources record
WoRMS lists the genus Cantharidus as accepted within the family Trochidae.[1] GBIF also accepts the genus Cantharidus Montfort, 1810, within the kingdom Animalia, phylum Mollusca, class Gastropoda, order Trochida, and family Trochidae.[2] The Indo-Pacific Molluscan Database mentions the species Cantharidus vittata (Pilsbry, 1903) as a name in current use.[4]
References
- World Register of Marine Species, Cantharidus (AphiaID 204763). CC BY 4.0. marinespecies.org
- GBIF Backbone Taxonomy and occurrence index, Cantharidus (taxon key 2292800). CC BY 4.0 (backbone); counts are facts. gbif.org
- Wikipedia, "Cantharidus" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: Tryon (1889), Manual of Conchology XI, Academy of Natural Sciences, Philadelphia (original not read by us) en.wikipedia.org
- Wikipedia, "Cantharidus" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: Malacolog: Cantharidus (original not read by us) en.wikipedia.org
Each numbered sentence above was checked against the source it cites before publication. Sentences citing Wikipedia adapt text from the English Wikipedia article Cantharidus (contributors), used under CC BY-SA 4.0; this entry is available under the same licence. Other sources were used for facts only; no text or images are copied from them.
More in Marine Snails
Sources
Compiled from Wikipedia and the sources listed below. Text from Wikipedia is available under CC BY-SA 4.0; this entry is adapted from it.
- Wikipedia: Cantharidus (CC BY-SA 4.0).
- Word definitions: the Codexery glossary, each quoted from its Wikipedia article.
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