Kingdom Animalia Family Ranellidae Genus Ranella Phylum Mollusca Rank Species | Superfamily Tonnoidea Subfamily Ranellinae Scientific name Ranella olearium Higher classification Ranella | |
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Similar Ranella, Turritella turbona, Bivetiella cancellata, Galeodea rugosa, Tectonatica sagraiana | ||
Ranella olearium, common name the wandering triton or the little frog triton or olive trumpet, is a species of large sea snail, a marine gastropod mollusc in the family Ranellidae, the tritons.
Contents
Synonyms
Over the course of time, this species has been named many times:
Distribution
This species has a wide distribution. It is found in European waters, in the Mediterranean Sea, in the Central and South Atlantic Ocean (Cape Verde, West Africa), in the Indian Ocean (Mozambique, South Africa), along New Zealand, in the Caribbean Sea (along Colombia) and in the South Western Pacific (not in Galápagos) .
Description
The shell size of Ranella olearium varies between 90 mm and 240 mm. It is a highly variable species. Usually these large shells are elongated, thick and sturdy, with rounded whorls and with tubercles more or less developed on some sutures. The mouth is large and has a rounded section. The siphonal channel is moderately long and the lip bears many teeth, often double, arranged along the polished, white or brown edge. The external surface of the shell is brown ocher, with clearer tubercles and other protruding parts. The inner surface and the columella are white. In the living individual the shell is commonly covered with an outer velvety layer.
Habitat
These outer shelf-upper bathyal sea snails live on sandy or muddy bottoms. They have been recorded at a minimum depth of 100 m. and at a maximum depth of about 280 m.