Stellaria testigera

Stellaria testigera, the finger carrier shell, is a species of large sea snail, a marine gastropod mollusk in the family Xenophoridae, the carrier shells.^[1]

Stellaria testigera Temporal range: Miocene - Pliocene PreꞒ Ꞓ O S D C P T J K Pg N
A view of a fossil shell of Stellaria testigera
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Mollusca
Class:	Gastropoda
Subclass:	Caenogastropoda
Order:	Littorinimorpha
Family:	Xenophoridae
Genus:	Stellaria
Species:	S. testigera
Binomial name
Stellaria testigera (Bronn, 1831)
Synonyms[1]
Phorus testigerus Bronn, 1831 Xenophora (Stellaria) testigera (Bronn, 1831)

Subspecies

• Stellaria testigera profunda Ponder, 1983
• Stellaria testigera digitata Martens, 1878

Distribution

Stellaria testigera profunda is present in the Gulf of Aden and in North East Africa,^[2] while Stellaria testigera digitata can be found in Senegal and Western Africa.^[3]

Description

Shells of Stellaria testigera profunda can reach a size of 45–80 millimetres (1.8–3.1 in),^[2] while in Stellaria testigera digitata they can reach 50–75 millimetres (2.0–3.0 in).^[3] These shells are characterized by the expanded peripherical flange, the presence of digitations and the smooth dorsal surface.^[4][5]

Fossil record

Fossils of Stellaria testigera are found in marine strata from the Miocene to Pliocene (age range: from 20.43 to 3.6 million years ago.). Fossils are known from Italy, Denmark and Slovakia.^[6] These mollusks lived in the Mediterranean and spread to the Atlantic Africa and the Gulf of Aden.^[4][7]