Tonna tessellata, the mosaic tun, tessellate tun or maculated tun, is a species of large sea snail, a marine gastropod mollusk in the family Tonnidae.[2]

Tonna tessellata
A Shell of Tonna tessellata from Japan on display at the Museo Civico di Storia Naturale di Milano
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Mollusca
Class: Gastropoda
Subclass: Caenogastropoda
Order: Littorinimorpha
Family: Tonnidae
Genus: Tonna
Species:
T. tessellata
Binomial name
Tonna tessellata
(Lamarck, 1816)[1]
Synonyms[2]
  • Cadus doliolum Röding, 1798
  • Dolium (Dolium) dolium var. parvula (Tapparone Canefri, 1878) superseded combination
  • Dolium costatum var. fimbriatum G. B. Sowerby I, 1827
  • Dolium fimbriatum Sowerby I, 1827
  • Dolium fimbriatum var. parvulum Tapparone-Canefri, 1878
  • Dolium minjac Deshayes, 1844
  • Dolium tessellatum Lamarck, 1816
  • Tonna (Tonna) dolium parvula (Tapparone Canefri, 1878) superseded combination
  • Tonna (Tonna) tessellata (Lamarck, 1816) (Recombination)
  • Tonna maculata (Lamarck, 1822) (Recombination of synonym)
  • Tonna parvula (Tapparone Canefri, 1878) superseded combination

Description

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The shell of an adult Tonna tessellata can be as large as 45–150 millimetres (1.8–5.9 in). It is a relatively thin and light weight shell, nearly spherical. The body whorl is inflated, with a very wide aperture. Surface is white, smooth and glossy, with distinctive brown-red markings and sculptured by thick spiral ribs. It lacks the operculum. This sea snail feeds on crustaceans, sea urchins and fishes.

Distribution

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This species is widespread from South Africa, Madagascar and Western Pacific to Australia, New Zealand, Thailand, Indonesia, Papua New Guinea, Vietnam, Philippines and Japan. It lives in sandy seabed, at depths of 0 to 50 m.

 
Museum specimen. Naturalis

References

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  1. ^ Lamarck. (1816). Encycl. méthod. Vers. Atlas 3: pl. 403, figs 3a-b. World Register of Marine Species, Retrieved 9 July 2010.
  2. ^ a b Tonna tessellata (Lamarck, 1816). Vos, C. (2009). Tonna tessellata (Lamarck, 1816). Accessed through the World Register of Marine Species at http://www.marinespecies.org/aphia.php?p=taxdetails&id=410306 on 9 July 2010 .
  • Morton, B. & Morton, J. (1983). The sea shore ecology of Hong Kong. Hong Kong: Hong Kong University Press. 350 pp.
  • Vos, C. (2007) A conchological Iconography (No. 13) - The family Tonnidae. 123 pp., 30 numb. plus 41 (1 col.) un-numb. text-figs, 33 maps., 63 col. pls, Conchbooks, Germany
  • Cernohorsky. W. O. (1972). Marine Shells of the Pacific. Vol. II. Pacific Publications, Sydney, 411 pp.
  • Beu, A. G. (2005) Neogene fossil tonnoidean gastropods of Indonesia. Scripta Geologica 130, p. 1-186, pp. 166, figs. 327
  • Vos, C. (2008) Tonnidae. in Poppe G.T. (ed.) Philippine Marine Mollusks, Volume 1: Gastropoda 1: 594–611, pls 242–250. Conchbooks, Hackenheim, Germany.
  • Vos, C. (2012) Overview of the Tonnidae (MOLLUSCA: GASTROPODA) in Chinese waters. Shell Discoveries 1(1); pp. 12–22; Pls. 1-9
  • Vos, C. (2013) Overview of the Tonnidae (Mollusca: Gastropoda) in Chinese waters. Gloria Maris 52(1-2); pp. 22–53; Pls. 1-9
  • Steyn, D. G.; Lussi, M. (2005). Offshore Shells of Southern Africa: A pictorial guide to more than 750 Gastropods. Published by the authors. pp. i–vi, 1–289
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