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Cenchritis muricatus

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Cenchritis muricatus
Five views of a shell of Cenchritis muricatus
Scientific classification
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C. muricatus
Binomial name
Cenchritis muricatus
(Linnaeus, 1758)
Synonyms[1]
  • Tectarius muricatus (Linnaeus, 1758)
  • Trochus muricatus Linnaeus, 1758
  • Turbo muricatus Linnaeus, 1758

Cenchritis muricatus is a species of sea snail in the family Littorinidae, the winkles or periwinkles. It occurs in the Caribbean Sea, the Gulf of Mexico and the Lesser Antilles.[1] It is known commonly as the beaded periwinkle.[2]

This snail often crawls out of the water and climbs vertical rocky cliffs to heights of over 14 meters, where it avoids desiccation and overheating by hiding in moist crevices.[3]

References

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  1. ^ a b Reid, D. G. (2014). Cenchritis muricatus (Linnaeus, 1758). World Register of Marine Species. Accessed 2 September 2014.
  2. ^ Díaz-Ferguson, E., et al. (2012). Genetic structure and connectivity patterns of two Caribbean rocky-intertidal gastropods. Journal of Molluscan Studies 78(1) 112-18.
  3. ^ Judge, M. L., et al. (2009). Life in the supralittoral fringe: Microhabitat choice, mobility and growth in the tropical periwinkle Cenchritis (=Tectarius) muricatus (Linneaus [sic], 1758). Journal of Experimental Marine Biology and Ecology 369(2) 148–54.

Further reading

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Cenchritis muricatus (beaded periwinkle snails), grazing in the supratidal rocky shore zone, San Salvador Island, Bahamas