Strombidae

'') in Mayotte. One can see the eyes as well as the scythe-shaped operculum. '' in La Réunion. '' in La Réunion. Strombid gastropods live mainly in tropical and subtropical waters. These animals are widespread in the Indo-West Pacific, where most species and genera occur. Nearly 40 of the living species that used to belong to the genus Strombus can be found in the Indo-Pacific region. They also occur in the eastern Pacific and Western Atlantic, and a single species can be found on the African Atlantic coast. ==Morphology and life habits==

Strombids have long eye stalks. The shell of a strombid has a long and narrow aperture and a siphonal canal. The shell margin has an indentation near the anterior end which accommodates one of the eye stalks. This indentation is called a strombid or stromboid notch. The stromboid notch may be more or less conspicuous, depending on the species. Nowadays, strombids are known to be specialized herbivores and occasional detritivores. They are usually associated with shallow-water reefs and seagrass meadows. Burrowing behavior, in which an individual sinks itself entirely or partially into the substrate, is also frequent among strombid gastropods. The burrowing process itself, which involves distinct sequential movements and sometimes complex behaviors, is very characteristic of each species. Usually, large strombid gastropods, such as the queen conch Eustrombus gigas and the spider conch Lambis lambis, do not bury themselves, except during their juvenile stages. However, smaller species such as Strombus canarium and Strombus epidromis may bury themselves even after adulthood. ==Taxonomy==

For a long time, all conchs and their allies (the strombids) were classified in only two genera, namely Strombus and Lambis. Genera The family Strombidae comprises 31 extant genera and 10 extinct genera (marked with a dagger †). ;Extant genera File:Lobatus gigas 01.jpg|Aliger gigas File:Canarium mutabile forma zebriolatus 01.JPG|Canarium mutabile File:Conomurex decorus 01.jpg|Conomurex decorus File:Doxander vittatus entropi 01.JPG|Doxander vittatus File:Euprotomus aurisdianae 01.JPG|Euprotomus aurisdianae File:Gibberulus gibbosus 01.JPG|Gibberulus gibbosus File:Harpago chiragra 01.JPG|Harpago chiragra File:Laevistrombus canarium canarium 01.JPG|Laevistrombus canarium File:Lambis scorpius indomaris 01.JPG|Lambis scorpius File:Lentigo lentiginosus 01.JPG|Lentigo lentiginosus File:Lobatus costatus albino.jpg|Macrostrombus costatus File:Mirabilistrombus listeri 01.JPG|Mirabilistrombus listeri File:Margistrombus marginatus marginatus 01.JPG|Neodilatilabrum marginatus File:Sinustrombus sinuatus, Bohol, Philippines.jpg|Sinustrombus sinuatus File:Strombus pugilis 01.JPG|Strombus pugilis File:Terestrombus terebellatus 01.JPG|Terestrombus terebellatus File:WLA hmns Strombus thersites.jpg|Thersistrombus thersites File:Tridentarius dentatus 01.jpg|Tridentarius dentatus ;Extinct genera holotype of †Striatostrombus blanci held at MNHN, Paris ;Genera brought into synonymy • Afristrombus Bandel, 2007 is a synonym of Persististrombus Kronenberg & Lee, 2007 • Aliger Thiele, 1929 is a synonym of Lobatus Swainson, 1837 • Decostrombus Bandel, 2007 is a synonym of Conomurex Bayle in P. Fischer, 1884 • Eustrombus Wenz, 1940 is a synonym of Lobatus Swainson, 1837 • Fusistrombus Bandel, 2007 is a synonym of Canarium Schumacher, 1817 • Gallinula Mörch, 1852 is a synonym of Labiostrombus Oostingh, 1925 • Hawaiistrombus Bandel, 2007 is a synonym of Canarium Schumacher, 1817 • Heptadactylus Mörch, 1852 is a synonym of Lambis Röding, 1798 • Latissistrombus Bandel, 2007 is a synonym of Sinustrombus Bandel, 2007 • Millipes Mörch, 1852 is a synonym of Lambis Röding, 1798 • Ministrombus Bandel, 2007 is a synonym of Dolomena Wenz, 1940 • Monodactylus Mörch, 1852 is a synonym of Euprotomus Gill, 1870 • Margistrombus Bandel, 2007 is a synonym of Neodilatilabrum Dekkers, 2008 • Pterocera Lamarck, 1799 is a synonym of Lambis Röding, 1798 • Pyramis Röding, 1798 is a synonym of Strombus Linnaeus, 1758 • Solidistrombus Dekkers, 2008 is a synonym of Sinustrombus Bandel, 2007 • Strombella Schlüter, 1838 is a synonym of Strombus Linnaeus, 1758 • Strombidea Swainson, 1840 is a synonym of Canarium Schumacher, 1817 ==Phylogeny==

|caption=Phylogeny and relationships of the Strombidae according to Simone (2005) In this work, Simone identified the Strombidae as a monophyletic group, meaning all its members descend from a common ancestor and share unique traits not found in other groups. He based this conclusion on 13 shared derived traits (called synapomorphies) and recognized at least eight distinct genera within the family. Despite issues with individual gene cladograms, the combined analyses were statistically congruent and reasonably represented the phylogeny of Strombus and Lambis. The findings indicated that Strombus s.l. as defined by Abbott in 1961 was paraphyletic, supporting an earlier suggestion that Strombus s.l. was polyphyletic. Relationships within Lambis were consistent with Stone’s (2001) This revision was based on distinct morphological similarities, including the position of the eye, foot shape, radular configuration, and shell structures. Members of the proposed clade Neostromboidea are characterized by having eyes situated at the tips of peduncles, with a cephalic tentacle located near its distal end. Their foot is laterally compressed, and their shells exhibit a stromboid notch that allows the pedunculated eyes to protrude. In contrast, Struthiolariidae and Aporrhaidae possess a broader, flattened foot and have eyes located at the base of their tentacles, not on peduncles. These families also lack the anterior notch found on Neostromboidea shells. According to the authors, these structural differences reflect the distinct life habits and evolutionary histories of these groups. ==Fossil record and geological history==

Strombids are estimated to have originated during the Cretaceous period based on recent time-calibrated molecular phylogenetic hypothesis. This would in turn mean that the group's origin would predate the oldest known strombid fossil by at least 59 million years, a discrepancy that could either be explained by methodological inadequacies or an incomplete fossil record. a pattern corroborated by recent findings that suggest significant rises in cladogenesis rates during the Early and Late Miocene. These diversification events are often linked to the eastward shift of the global biodiversity hotspot from the Tethys region to its current location in the Indo-West Pacific. This shift was influenced by tectonic activity, including the formation of the Gomphotherium land bridge and the collision of the Australia-New Guinea plate with Pacific arcs and the Southeast Asian plate margin approximately 25 million years ago, creating new shallow-water habitats and extended coastlines. These geological changes facilitated the expansion of seagrass habitats and the diversification of zooxanthellate corals around 20–25 million years ago. The resulting increase in habitat complexity contributed to elevated cladogenesis rates among many benthic groups, including strombids, which are closely associated with seagrass beds and coral rubble. This ecological expansion is believed to have driven a significant diversification within Strombidae approximately 23 million years ago. ==Human use==

Snails in the family Strombidae are used by humans in a wide range of ways, mostly as food or decoration. Several species belonging to numerous genera among the Strombidae are considered economically important. Some species have been used in human culture for centuries. Since before the Age of Discovery, strombid shells were used as wind instruments, and were later used in the lime industry, in handicrafts, as souvenirs, and even in jewelry. In the Caribbean, Bermuda and southeastern United States, the queen conch Aliger gigas is sought after for its conch pearls, which have been used in jewelry since the Victorian era. Image:Die Flügelschnecken (Strombea) - in Abbildungen nach der Natur mit Beschreibungen (1845) (20292533424).jpg Image:Die Flügelschnecken (Strombea) - in Abbildungen nach der Natur mit Beschreibungen (1845) (20292538204).jpg Image:Die Flügelschnecken (Strombea) - in Abbildungen nach der Natur mit Beschreibungen (1845) (20292539754).jpg Image:Die Flügelschnecken (Strombea) - in Abbildungen nach der Natur mit Beschreibungen (1845) (20727155968).jpg Image:Die Flügelschnecken (Strombea) - in Abbildungen nach der Natur mit Beschreibungen (1845) (20888850646).jpg Image:Die Flügelschnecken (Strombea) - in Abbildungen nach der Natur mit Beschreibungen (1845) (20888857476).jpg Image:Die Flügelschnecken (Strombea) - in Abbildungen nach der Natur mit Beschreibungen (1845) (20922430931).jpg ==References==