Phalium glaucum, common name the grey bonnet or glaucus bonnet, is a species of large sea snail, a marine gastropod mollusk in the family Cassidae, the helmet snails and bonnet snails.[1]

Phalium glaucum
Five views of a shell of Phalium glaucum (Linné, 1758)
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Mollusca
Class: Gastropoda
Subclass: Caenogastropoda
Order: Littorinimorpha
Family: Cassidae
Genus: Phalium
Species:
P. glaucum
Binomial name
Phalium glaucum
(Linnaeus, 1758)
Synonyms[1]
  • Bezoardica vulgaris Schumacher, 1817
  • Buccinum glaucum Linnaeus, 1758 (original combination)
  • Cassidea strigata Shirley, 1911
  • Cassis bezoar Gray, 1839
  • Cassis glauca (Linnaeus, 1758)

Distribution

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This species is widespread in the Indo-Pacific, from Eastern Africa (Madagascar, Mozambique, Tanzania) to Southern Japan and Melanesia.[2]

 
Shells of Phalium glaucum

Habitat

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This species lives on sandy bottoms with seagrass meadows, in intertidal and shallow subtidal areas to a depth of about 10 m.[3]

Description

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Shell of Phalium glaucum can reach a length of 60–147 millimetres (2.4–5.8 in).[2]

These shells are helmet shaped with a large body whorl and tiny spires. The surface of shell is smooth and uniformly greyish or pale brown. The molluscs have a white body and a large yellowish or whitish foot which is edged in reddish brown. The operculum is bright yellow and fan-shaped. Usually this sea snail buries itself in the sandy areas with the long siphon sticking out.[3]

Bibliography

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  • Arianna Fulvo and Roberto Nistri (2005). 350 coquillages du monde entier. Delachaux et Niestlé (Paris) : 256 p. (ISBN 2-603-01374-2)
  • Tan S.K., Ng H.E. & Nguang L.H.S. (2013) A new species of Phalium Link, 1807 (Gastropoda: Tonnoidea: Cassidae) from the Sunda Shelf. The Raffles Bulletin of Zoology 61(2): 507-514

References

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  1. ^ a b Phalium glaucum (Linnaeus, 1758). WoRMS (2009). Phalium glaucum (Linnaeus, 1758). Accessed through the World Register of Marine Species at http://marinespecies.org/aphia.php?p=taxdetails&id=217006 on 14 August 2010 .
  2. ^ a b "Phalium glaucum". Gastropods.com. Retrieved 12 January 2019.
  3. ^ a b Wild Singapore
  • Dautzenberg P. (1929). Contribution à l'étude de la faune de Madagascar: Mollusca marina testacea. Faune des colonies françaises, 3(4): 321-636, pls 4-7. Société d'Editions géographiques, maritimes et coloniales, Paris. (
  • Orr J. (1985). Hong Kong seashells. The Urban Council, Hong Kong
  • Verbinnen G., Segers L., Swinnen F., Kreipl K. & Monsecour D. (2016). Cassidae. An amazing family of seashells. Harxheim: ConchBooks. 251 pp
  • 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.
  • Drivas, J. & Jay, M. (1987). Coquillages de La Réunion et de l'Île Maurice. Collection Les Beautés de la Nature. Delachaux et Niestlé: Neuchâtel. ISBN 2-603-00654-1. 159 pp.
  • Steyn, D.G. & Lussi, M. (1998) Marine Shells of South Africa. An Illustrated Collector's Guide to Beached Shells. Ekogilde Publishers, Hartebeespoort, South Africa, ii + 264 pp.
  • Liu, J.Y. [Ruiyu] (ed.). (2008). Checklist of marine biota of China seas. China Science Press. 1267 pp
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