View source for Biology:Neverita lewisii

{{Short description|Species of mollusc}}
{{Taxobox
| image = Euspira lewisii 3.jpg
| image_caption =
| image2 = Euspira lewisii 4.jpg
| image2_caption =
| regnum = [[Biology:Animal|Animal]]ia
| phylum = [[Biology:Mollusca|Mollusca]]
| classis = [[Biology:Gastropoda|Gastropoda]]
| unranked_superfamilia= clade [[Biology:Caenogastropoda|Caenogastropoda]]<br/>clade [[Biology:Hypsogastropoda|Hypsogastropoda]]<br/>clade [[Biology:Littorinimorpha|Littorinimorpha]]
| superfamilia = [[Biology:Naticoidea|Naticoidea]]
| familia = [[Biology:Naticidae|Naticidae]]
| subfamilia =
| genus = ''[[Biology:Neverita|Neverita]]''
| species = '''''Neverita lewisii'''''
| binomial = ''Neverita lewisii''
| binomial_authority = (Gould, 1847) 
| synonyms_ref= <ref name="WoRMS" />
| synonyms =
* ''Euspira lewisii'' <small>(Gould, 1847)</small>
* ''Natica lewisii'' <small>Gould, 1847</small> ([[Biology:Basionym|basionym]])
* ''Lunatia lewisii'' <small>(Gould, 1847)</small>
* ''Polinices lewisii'' <small>Gould, 1847</small>

}}

'''''Neverita lewisii''''' (previously known as '''''Polinices lewisii''''', '''''Lunatia lewisii''''', '''''Euspira lewisii'''''), [[Biology:Common name|common name]] '''Lewis's moon snail''', is a [[Biology:Species|species]] of large [[Biology:Operculum (gastropod)|operculated]] [[Biology:Sea snail|sea snail]]. It is a predatory marine gastropod in the family [[Biology:Naticidae|Naticidae]], the moon snails.<ref name="WoRMS">Bouchet, P. (2012). Lunatia lewisii (Gould, 1847). Accessed through: World Register of Marine Species at http://www.marinespecies.org/aphia.php?p=taxdetails&id=584785 on 2012-08-16</ref> Traditionally, this species was assigned to either the genus ''[[Biology:Lunatia|Lunatia]]'', the genus ''[[Biology:Polinices|Polinices]]'' or the genus ''[[Biology:Euspira|Euspira]]''. Recently, it was assigned to the genus ''[[Biology:Neverita|Neverita]]'' based on [[Biology:DNA barcoding|molecular data]].<ref name="WoRMS" /><ref name="Huelskenetal2012">Huelsken, T., Tapken, D., Dahlmann, T., Wägele, H., Riginos, C., Hollmann, M. (2012). Systematics and phylogenetic species delimitation within Polinices s.l. (Caenogastropoda: Naticidae) based on molecular data and shell morphology. Organisms Diversity & Evolution. doi:10.1007/s13127-012-0111-5.</ref>

This is the largest species in the family.

==Distribution==
''Neverita lewisii'' lives in the Eastern Pacific, from British Columbia to northern Baja California, Mexico.

[[File:Euspira lewisii 2.jpg|left|thumb|''Lunatia lewisii'' is digging into the mud to protect itself.]]
[[File:Euspira lewisii.jpg|left|thumb|Apical view of a shell of ''Lunatia lewisii'']]

== Habitat ==
This snail is found intertidally and at depths of up to {{convert|180|m}}, usually ploughing through the [[Biology:Substrate (marine biology)|substrate]] looking for prey.

== Description ==
The shell of this species can grow to {{convert|14|cm}} across, the largest of the moon snails. It has  an extremely large foot, which when the snail is active, is extended up over the shell and [[Biology:Mantle (mollusc)|mantle]] cavity.  Part of the propodium contains a black-tipped siphon which leads water into the mantle cavity.  The [[Biology:Cephalic|cephalic]] tentacles, located on its head, are usually visible above the propodium.

When the animal retracts its soft parts into the shell, a lot of water is expelled, thus it is possible to close the shell with its tight-fitting [[Biology:Operculum (gastropod)|operculum]].

== Diet ==
''Neverita lewisii'' feeds mainly on bivalve [[Biology:Mollusc|mollusc]]s by drilling a hole in the shell with its [[Biology:Radula|radula]] and feeding on the organism's soft flesh.

== Reproduction ==
Like other moon snails, this species lays its eggs in a "[[Biology:Sand collar|sand collar]]".  The eggs may number in the thousands and hatch into microscopic [[Biology:Larva|larva]]e which feed on [[Earth:Plankton|plankton]] until they undergo [[Biology:Torsion (gastropod)|torsion]] and metamorphose into the adult stage.

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==Further reading==
* Turgeon, D.; Quinn, J.F.; Bogan, A.E.; Coan, E.V.; Hochberg, F.G.; Lyons, W.G.; Mikkelsen, P.M.; Neves, R.J.; Roper, C.F.E.; Rosenberg, G.; Roth, B.; Scheltema, A.; Thompson, F.G.; Vecchione, M.; Williams, J.D. (1998). ''Common and scientific names of aquatic invertebrates from the United States and Canada: mollusks''. 2nd ed. American Fisheries Society Special Publication, 26. American Fisheries Society: Bethesda, MD (USA). {{ISBN|1-888569-01-8}}. IX, 526 + cd-rom pp.
* Hoehing, D. 2001. "Euspira lewisii" (On-line), Animal Diversity Web. Accessed December 1, 2008 at http://animaldiversity.ummz.umich.edu/site/accounts/information/Euspira_lewisii.html
* Brusca, Richard C., and Brusca, Gary J. ''Invertebrates.'' 2nd. Sunderland, MA: Sinauer Associates, Inc., 2003.
* Nybakken, James W. ''Diversity of the Invertebrates.'' Dubuque, IA: Times Mirror Higher Education Group, Inc., 1996.
* Lamb, A. and Hanby, B. P. (2005). ''Marine Life of the Pacific Northwest: A Photographic Encyclopedia of Invertebrates, Seaweeds, and Selected Fishes.'' Maderia Park, B. C. Harbour Publishing.
* Torigoe K. & Inaba A. (2011) ''Revision on the classification of Recent Naticidae''. Bulletin of the Nishinomiya Shell Museum 7: 133 + 15 pp., 4 pls

{{Taxonbar|from=Q13895385}}

[[Category:Naticidae]]

{{Sourceattribution|Neverita lewisii}}