Gastropods Of The Pinecrest Sand

[MikeR]

Yesterday I posted within my Tamiami gallery, shells from the family Fasciolariidae.  Also known commonly as the Horse Conch, spindle and tulip shells, members of the Family Fasciolariidae are small to very large carnivorous snails with an elongated spire and well developed siphonal canal.  Most members feed on other mollusks by smothering smaller gastropods with their large foot.  Fasciolariidae species within the Tamiami in my collection are as follows:

 

Order Neogastropoda

     Family Fasciolariidae

          Aurantilaria lindae (Petuch, 2004)

          Cinctura apicina (Dall, 1890)

          Cinctura rhomboidea (Rodgers, 1839)

          Fasciolaria microcingulata Dall, 1890

          Fasciolaria okeechobensis Tucker & Wilson, 1932

          Hemipolygona stephensae (Lyons, 1991)

          Heilprinia caloosaensis (Heilprin, 1886)

          Heilprinia florida (Olsson & Harbison, 1953)

          Liochlamy bulbosa (Heilprin, 1886)

          Pliculofusus acuta (Emmons, 1858)

          Pliculofusus scalarina (Heilprin, 1886)

          Polygona hypsipettus (Dall, 1890)

          Polygona jucunda (McGinty, 1940)

          Pustulatirus miamiensis (petuch, 1986)

          Triplofusus giganteus (Kiener, 1840)

 

 

 

Enjoy!

 

Mike

Edited November 26, 2021 by MikeR

[MikeR]

I find it hard to believe that it has been almost 14 months since I last posted images to my Upper Pliocene Tamiami gallery.  My job has been the primary culprit of the delay however, a two week stay-cation during the holidays has allowed me to re-energize and to once more photograph and post specimens within my collection.  The latest gastropod family addition to the gallery is Turbinellidae which include the commonly known Chank, Trumpet and Vase shells.  This family has a worldwide distribution in mostly tropical and subtropical zones, feeding primarily on polychaete worms and bivalves.  Among its members is the largest living gastropod, the Australian Trumpet Shell, Syrinx aruanus (below next to Triplofusus gigantea). 

 

 

For the past 7 or 8 years, I have been collecting in a quarry in southernmost Lee County which exposes both the Ochopee Limestone Member and the coral reef facies Golden Gate Member of the Tamiami.  Some of the fossil shells found in this pit, however, are species reportedly restricted to the Lower Pleistocene Caloosahatchee Formation.  Published research claims that the Caloosahatchee does not appear south of extreme northern Lee County, but there is no denying the strong Caloosahatcheean presence of a portion of the molluscan fauna.  Believing that the mined sediments were from the top or early-most Tamiami, I once thought that an intermediate fauna could have existed, but I am not so certain anymore.  As a result, beginning with the Turbinellidae family list below, I have noted possible Caloosahatchee species from this quarry with an asterisk (*).  The genus Hystrivasum in the Tamiami is excessively split so I have included only those species which I consider “might” be separate species, subspecies or named variants.

 

New images to my Tamiami Gallery are the following:

 

Order Neogastropoda

     Family Turbinellidae

          *Hystrivasum horridum (Heilprin, 1886)

          Hystrivasum lindae Petuch, 1994

          Hystrivasum locklini (Olsson & Harbison, 1953)

          Hystrivasum shrinerae (Hollister, 1971)

          Hystrivasum squamosum (Hollister, 1971)

          Turbinella regina (Heilprin, 1886)

          *Turbinella scolymoides Dall, 1890

          Turbinella streami Petuch, 1991

 

Enjoy!

 

Mike

Edited January 15, 2023 by MikeR

[FossilDAWG]

I am indeed enjoying.    that Australian Trumpet Shell is incredible!! 

 

Don

[MikeR]

I finally completed the latest upload of images into my Tamiami gallery; the families Marginellidae and Cystiscidae.  These gastropods are small to moderately sized with strong columnar plaits, a thickened margin on the aperture lip, and a glossy outer surface which envelops the spire.  Once classified as one family, Cystiscidae was separated from Marginellidae based on anatomy and shell structure.  In cystiscids, the internal whorls are reabsorbed as the shell grows leaving a hollow interior whereas in Marginellidae, the internal spire structure is preserved. 

Difficult to differentiate, the number columnar plaits which are consistent within individual species can sometimes be used to make a proper identification. 

 

Species within these two families in my collection are as follows:

 

Order Neogastropoda

     Family Marginellidae

          Bullata propenoei (Mansfield, 1930)

          Bullata donovani Olsson, 1967

          Dentimargo eburneola (Conrad, 1834)

          Dentimargo mansfieldi (Tucker & Wilson, 1933)

          Dentimargo polyspira (Olsson & Harbison, 1953)

          Prunum eulima (Dall, 1890)

          Prunum onchidella (Dall, 1890)

          Prunum pinellasensis Olsson & Harbison, 1953

          Prunum pardalis (Dall, 1890)

          Prunum precursor (Dall, 1890)

          Prunum willcoxiana (Dall, 1890)

          Volvarina belloides (Olsson & Harbison, 1953)

          Volvarina clenchi (M Smith, 1936)

     Family Cystiscidae

          Gibberula floridana (Dall, 1890)

          Persicula ovula Conrad, 1870

 

Enjoy!

 

Mike

 

 

 

Edited March 27, 2023 by MikeR

[FossilDAWG]

Thanks Mike.  This is very helpful.

 

Don