Carinaria Lamarck 1801

Carinaria is a genus of medium-sized floating sea snails, pelagic gastropod molluscs in the family Carinariidae.

Anatomy

The cylindrical and elongate body consists of three parts : a short proboscis, a well-developed trunk and tail region of variable size. The size of this tail goes from very small in Carinaria galea to very large in Carinaria cristata. The well-developed swimming fin is located in both sexes at the back of the trunk and has at its back margin a small fin sucker. The right tentacle is small or vestigial. The cuticle is thick and gelatinous.^[2] The shells are known as “Venus slippers.”

Species

The World Register of Marine Species includes the following species within the genus Carinaria:^[1]

• Carinaria cithara Benson, 1835 – harp carinaria
• Carinaria cristata (Linnaeus, 1767) – Indo-Pacific
• Carinaria galea Benson, 1835 – helmet carinaria; Indo-Pacific
• Carinaria japonica Okutani, 1955 – Japan, North Pacific
• Carinaria lamarckii Blainville, 1817
• Carinaria pseudorugosa Vayssière, 1904

Species brought into synonymy:

• Carinaria atlantica Adams & Reeve, 1850: synonym of Carinaria lamarckii Blainville, 1817
• Carinaria australis Quoy & Gaimard, 1833: synonym of Carinaria lamarckii Blainville, 1817
• Carinaria challengeri Bonnevie, 1920: synonym of Carinaria pseudorugosa Vayssière, 1904
• Carinaria grimaldii Vayssière, 1904: synonym of Carinaria lamarckii Blainville, 1817
• Carinaria lamarcki Péron & Lesueur, 1810: synonym of Carinaria lamarckii Blainville, 1817
• Carinaria mediterranea Blainville, 1825: synonym of Carinaria lamarckii Blainville, 1817
• Carinaria punctata d'Orbigny, 1836: synonym of Carinaria lamarckii Blainville, 1817

References