Atlantic Oysterdrill
Urosalpinx cinerea
Description 6
The shell of Urosalpinx cinerea is knobby having rugged whorls (turns of the shell) with rounded shoulders usually numbering 5. Each complete turn of the Atlantic oyster has 9-12 vertical, rounded ribs crossed with 15 rows of thinner spiral ridges. The aperture (opening through which the snail moves in and out of the shell) of U. cinerea is oval with an open canal at the base. Shells are usually yellow sometimes orange, grey or white and occasionally bearing brown streaks. The interior of the shell can be purple, red-brown or yellow. The operculum (the plate that closes to protect the snail when it is inside its shell) can be orange or yellow-brown.U. cinerea, a mollusk in the family Muricidae, is considered a major pest among the world's bivalve fisheries (Robinson and Dillon 2008). In colder waters, this species will be dormant throughout the winter and emerge in April to feed (Franz 1971).
Distribution 7
Range: 46°N to 27.7°N; 81°W to 64°W. Distribution: Canada; Canada: Gulf of St. Lawrence; USA: New Hampshire, Massachusetts, New York, New Jersey, Maryland, Virginia, North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia, Florida; Florida: East Florida
Physical description 8
Urosalpinx cinerea is about 25mm long and 15mm wide. Its flesh is of a gray or yellowish color with brown spiral stripes. Its shell resembles that of the common Ocenebra but is smaller, darker, and less ridged. Its shell is fusiform and has a rough texture created by an average of 12 ridges running longitudinal along the shell. The shell is also characterized by 5 to 6 raised whorls. The lip of the shell typically has between 2 and 6 teeth and is scalloped along with a short aperture with a canal. The species seems to be monomorphic and there is no difference in appearance depending upon the season. There also seems to be no reported or observed polymorphisms. Young members of the species seem to only differ from adults in relative size including length and mass. (Pratt, 1916 ; Nichols & Cooke, 1979)
Reproduction 9
The breeding season begins once the water temperature drops down into the 20s C and remains there for a week. The eggs are fertilized and deposited between rocks or on the floor of the ocean. The eggs are usually 240 microns in diameter. When the eggs are deposited with an albuminus substance that provides nourishment for the development of embryos. The cleavage of the egg is unequal and spiral with large polar lobes. The hatching embryo produces an enzyme that dissolves the protective sack. The average time it takes for an embryo to develop from fertilization to hatching is 40 days. The embryonic development itself is related to that of other gastropods. The veliger is formed at an early stage of development. Next, the foot appears and is formed before the blastopore closes. At this point, both the velum and the shell are well developed. The anus and intestinal track are late in forming. The velum is lost and the young snail emerges as a well-formed snail. (Costello & Henley, 2000)
Link to Access Genomic Data 10
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/Taxonomy/Browser/wwwtax.cgi?id=399971&lvl=0
Sources and Credits
- (c) Damon Tighe, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC), http://www.flickr.com/photos/damon_tighe/8592415393/
- (c) Damon Tighe, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC), uploaded by Damon Tighe
- (c) Ken-ichi Ueda, some rights reserved (CC BY), uploaded by Ken-ichi Ueda
- (c) Rebecca Johnson, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC), uploaded by Rebecca Johnson
- (c) Casey Dunn, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC-SA), https://www.flickr.com/photos/12455333@N00/6197521329/
- (c) Smithsonian Marine Station at Fort Pierce, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC-SA), http://eol.org/data_objects/11526964
- Adapted by matbio from a work by (c) WoRMS for SMEBD, some rights reserved (CC BY), http://eol.org/data_objects/29749197
- Adapted by matbio from a work by (c) The Regents of the University of Michigan and its licensors, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC-SA), http://eol.org/data_objects/18678384
- Adapted by matbio from a work by (c) The Regents of the University of Michigan and its licensors, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC-SA), http://eol.org/data_objects/18678385
- (c) Emily Rose Sharkey, all rights reserved
