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Cerithideopsis californica
Species of gastropod From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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Cerithideopsis californica, common name the California hornsnail[2] or the California horn snail,[3] is a species of sea snail, a marine gastropod mollusk in the family Potamididae.[4] This series was previously known as Cerithidea californica.
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Description
The shell is turriform in shape and about 1 inch (25 mm) in length.[1]
Distribution
The distribution of Cerithideopsis californica is from central California, USA to Baja California Sur, Mexico.[3]
The type locality is "California, in brackish water".[1]
Ecology
Cerithideopsis californica lives in salt-marsh dominated estuaries.[3]
The snails primarily feed on benthic diatoms.[3]
Throughout its range in California, these snails grow and reproduce from spring through fall (March–October) and cease growth and reproduction during the winter (November–February).[3] Maximum longevity for these snails is at least 6–10 years, and this appears to be the case for uninfected as well as infected snails.[3]
At least 18 trematode species parasitically castrate California horn snails.[3] A trematode infects a snail with a miracidium larva that either swims to infect the snail, or hatches after the snail ingests the trematode egg.[3] After infection, the trematode parthenitae clonally replicate and produce free-swimming offspring (cercariae).[3] These offspring infect second intermediate hosts (various invertebrates and fishes) where they form cysts (metacercariae).[3] The trematodes infect bird final hosts when birds eat second intermediate hosts.[3]
References
Further reading
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