Neverita didyma
| Neverita didyma | |
|---|---|
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| A live and active individual of Neverita didyma, viewed from above | |
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| Five views of a shell of Neverita didyma | |
Scientific classification  | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Mollusca |
| Class: | Gastropoda |
| Subclass: | Caenogastropoda |
| Order: | Littorinimorpha |
| Family: | Naticidae |
| Genus: | Neverita |
| Species: | N. didyma |
| Binomial name | |
| Neverita didyma (Röding, 1798) | |
| Synonyms[1] | |
| |
Neverita didyma, common name the bladder moon snail or moon shell, is a species of predatory sea snail, a marine gastropod mollusc in the family Naticidae, the moon snails.[1] Like all naticids, this species is a carnivore and a predator.
Subspecies
[edit]- Neverita didyma ampla (Philippi, 1849)
- Neverita didyma hayashii (Azuma, 1961)
- Neverita didyma hosoyai (Kira, 1959)
Description
[edit]The size of an adult shell of this species is discoid and varies between 20 mm and 90 mm, and is noticeably smooth, glossy and thick. The spiral tip does not stick out, causing a spherical shape. The shell appears plain white, sometimes with pearly pastel shades with a narrow white spiral at the spire sometimes with irregular blotches of colors. The underside of the shell includes a brown blotch with a small depression. The operculum is smooth and made out of a thin, yellow, horn-like material. The snail's tentacles have opaque white bands around them.
Common misidentifications
[edit]The snail is often mistaken for Polinices mammatus, the bosom moon snail, that has a teardrop shaped shell and has an underside which is completely white with a bump instead of a depression. The Ball moon snail is less shy and doesn't retract immediately into its shell like the Bosom moon snail.[2]
Eytomology
[edit]The snail gets its "moon" part of the name because its aperture is shaped like a crescent moon. The "didyma" part of the name could refer to either "testicles" or "twins"[citation needed]. The "ball" part of the name is because the overall shape of the shell is almost shaped like a ball.
Distribution
[edit]This marine species is found in the Yellow Sea or off the coast of the Madagascar, Mozambique, South Africa of the Indian Ocean and Australia.[3]
Habitat
[edit]The snail is commonly seen in sandy and muddy shores usually at night or a cool day. The snail is usually ploughing through sand for hunting near beaches with seagrass. It is often found hunting for button snails. Its predator is Argyrops spinifer.[4]
Culinary use
[edit]
In Korean cuisine the snails are used in a dish called golbaengi-muchim (moon snail salad). It is usually collected using fishing nets at depths of 2-10 m.[5]
Online fake news
[edit]In late 2018, a website in Thailand reported that on December 22, the body of a young woman was found lying dead on a beach in Phuket, in southern Thailand. The body was lying on top of horned turbans (Turbo cornutus), and there were greenish bruises on her back, resembling snake bites.
The report cited officials from the Department of Fisheries, claiming that turbans are venomous. However, the Department of Fisheries later investigated and confirmed that the story was fake news. The snail shown in the accompanying image was actually identified as Neverita didyma, a species commonly found in Lamae District, Chumphon Province. This species is edible and non-venomous. The Department of Fisheries also stated that it would take legal action against the website.[6]
References
[edit]- 1 2 Neverita didyma (Röding, 1798). WoRMS (2009). Neverita didyma (Röding, 1798) 5. Accessed through the World Register of Marine Species at http://www.marinespecies.org/aphia.php?p=taxdetails&id=568320 on 14 April 2011 .
- ↑ http://www.wildsingapore.com/wildfacts/mollusca/gastropoda/naticidae/didyma.htm
- ↑ https://bie.ala.org.au/species/https://biodiversity.org.au/afd/taxa/a8e66e09-b2b5-4fee-9d2d-fefb2a55b9c6
- ↑ https://worldspecies.org/ntaxa/2669073/i
- ↑ National Institute of Korean Language (30 July 2014). "주요 한식명(200개) 로마자 표기 및 번역(영, 중, 일) 표준안" (PDF) (in Korean).
- 주요 한식명 로마자 표기 및 표준 번역 확정안 공지. National Institute of Korean Language (Press release) (in Korean). 2014-05-02.
- ↑ "กรมประมงจ่อฟ้องเว็บแพร่ข่าวลวง "หอยตาวัว" ฆ่าคนตายไม่มีจริง!". Thasettakij (in Thai). 2018-12-24. Retrieved 2026-04-26.
- Dautzenberg, Ph. (1929). Mollusques testacés marins de Madagascar. Faune des Colonies Francaises, Tome III
- MacNae, W. & M. Kalk (eds) (1958). A natural history of Inhaca Island, Mozambique. Witwatersrand Univ. Press, Johannesburg. I-iv, 163 pp.
- Branch, G.M. et al. (2002). Two Oceans. 5th impression. David Philip, Cate Town & Johannesburg
- Kilburn, R.N. & Rippey, E. (1982) Sea Shells of Southern Africa. Macmillan South Africa, Johannesburg, xi + 249 pp. page(s): 71
- 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. page(s): 50
- Hollman M. (2008) Naticidae. In Poppe G.T. (ed.) Philippine marine mollusks, vol. 1: 482-501, pls 186-195. Hackenheim: Conchbooks.
- Torigoe K. & Inaba A. (2011) Revision on the classification of Recent Naticidae. Bulletin of the Nishinomiya Shell Museum 7: 133 + 15 pp., 4 pls
External links
[edit]
- "Polinices (Glossaulax) didyma". Gastropods.com. Retrieved 14 April 2011.
- Seashells of NSW info