These snails are filter feeders. This method of feeding is somewhat unusual among gastropod mollusks, but is very common in bivalves.
Shell description
The shells of turritellid species have whorls that are more convex and an aperture which is more circular than it is in the auger shells which are similarly high-spired. The columella is curved and the thin operculum is horny.
Anatomy of the soft parts
These snails burrow into mud or sand. The foot is relatively small.
Taxonomy
The following five subfamilies were recognized in the taxonomy of Bouchet & Rocroi (2005):
The Turritellenplatte of Ermingen ("Erminger Turritellenplatte" near Ulm, Germany) is situated in the northern part of the North Alpine Foreland Basin (NAFB) and is famous for its abundance of Turritella turris gastropod shells within sedimentary deposits. The fauna of this gastropod-rich sandstone reflects mainly near-coastal and shallow marine conditions. Petrographical and palaeontological data allow a correlation of Turritellenplatte of Ermingen with Burdigalian (Lower Miocene). Sr-isotope composition of shark teeth suggests an age of about 18,5 Ma for the Turritellenplatte of Ermingen.
