Charonia tritonis, Photo: Michael Lahanas
Superregnum: Eukaryota
Cladus: Unikonta
Cladus: Opisthokonta
Cladus: Holozoa
Regnum: Animalia
Subregnum: Eumetazoa
Cladus: Bilateria
Cladus: Nephrozoa
Cladus: Protostomia
Cladus: Spiralia
Cladus: Lophotrochozoa
Phylum: Mollusca
Classis: Gastropoda
Subclassis: Caenogastropoda
Ordo: Littorinimorpha
Superfamilia: Tonnoidea
Familia: Charoniidae
Genus: Charonia
Species: Charonia tritonis
Name
Charonia tritonis (Linnaeus, 1758)
Synonyms
Eutritonium tritonis Linnaeus, 1758
Murex tritonis Linnaeus, 1758
Septa tritonia Perry, 1810
Triton marmoratum Link, 1807
Triton umbricata W. H. D. Adams, 1868
References
Charonia tritonis in the World Register of Marine Species
SysTax: Charonia tritonis (Linnaeus, 1758)
Vernacular names
Deutsch: Tritonschnecke
English: Triton's Trumpet
español: Bucio
magyar: Tritonkürt
português: Búzio
Charonia tritonis, common name the Triton's trumpet, the giant triton or pū[1] is a species of very large sea snail, a marine gastropod mollusc in the family Charoniidae, the tritons.[2] Reaching up to two feet (or 60 cm) in shell length this is one of the biggest mollusks in the coral reef.[3]
Distribution
This species is found throughout the Indo-Pacific Oceans, Red Sea included.[3]
Description
An artificial or fake left-handed triton conch
Feeding habits
C. tritonis is one of the few animals to feed on the crown-of-thorns starfish, Acanthaster planci. Occasional plagues of this large and destructive starfish have killed extensive areas of coral on the Great Barrier Reef of Australia and the western Pacific reefs. The triton has been described as tearing the starfish to pieces with its file-like radula.[4]
Human use
Charonia tritonis on a 2002 Indonesia postage stamp.
The shell is well known as a decorative object, and is sometimes modified for use as a trumpet (such as the Japanese horagai, the Maldivian sangu, the Hawaiian pū (hoʻokani)[1] or the Māori pūtātara).
Much debate has occurred on whether plagues of crown-of-thorns starfish are natural or are caused by overfishing of the few organisms that can eat this starfish, including C. tritonis. In 1994, Australia proposed that C. tritonis should be put on the CITES list, thereby attempting to protect the species.[5] Because of a lack of trade data concerning this seashell, the Berne Criteria from CITES were not met, and the proposal was consequently withdrawn. While this species may be protected in Australia and other countries (such as India),[6] it can be legally traded and is found for sale in many shell shops around the world and on the internet.
References
Mary Kawena Pukui; Samuel Hoyt Elbert (2003). "lookup of pū". in Hawaiian Dictionary. Ulukau, the Hawaiian Electronic Library, University of Hawaii Press.
Charonia tritonis (Linnaeus, 1758). Retrieved through: World Register of Marine Species on 4 December 2018.
"Descriptions and articles about the Triton's Trumpet (Charonia tritonis) - Encyclopedia of Life". Eol.org. 2011-02-16. Retrieved 2014-12-07.
Powell, G (1979). "Stars for kings". Sea Frontiers. 25 (5): 282–285.
Proposal: Inclusion of the giant triton Charonia tritonis on Appendix II, CITES.
India Ministry of Environment and Forests Notification S.O. 665(E) Archived 2014-01-04 at the Wayback Machine. New Delhi, 11 July 2001.]
Bibliography
Powell, A.W.B. (1979). New Zealand Mollusca. Auckland: Collins. ISBN 0-00-216906-1.
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