Turritellidae

Lore & Background

The shells of turritellid species have whorls that are more convex and apertures more circular than in auger shells, which are similarly high-spired. The columella is curved and the thin operculum has many horns. These snails burrow into mud or sand, with their feet being relatively small.

Reader's Guide

Turritellidae are significant for their distinctive filter-feeding ecology, which is rare among gastropods but common in bivalves. Their fossil record is extensive, with the Turritellenplatte of Ermingen (near Ulm, Germany) providing a notable example of abundant Turritella turris shells in sedimentary deposits. This site, part of the North Alpine Foreland Basin, reflects near-coastal and shallow marine conditions and has been correlated with the Burdigalian age (Lower Miocene epoch), with an age of about 18.5 Ma based on Sr-isotope composition of shark teeth. The family includes numerous genera, both extant and extinct, such as Turritella (the type genus), and has been studied for its paleontological and biostratigraphic value.

Did You Know?

• Turritellidae are filter feeders, a feeding method unusual among gastropods but common in bivalves.
• Their shells have more convex whorls and more circular apertures than auger shells.
• The thin operculum of turritellids has many horns.
• The Turritellenplatte of Ermingen contains abundant Turritella turris shells and dates to about 18.5 Ma.