Xenophora


Xenophora, commonly called carrier shells, is a genus of medium-sized to large sea snails, marine gastropod mollusks in the family Xenophoridae, the carrier snails or carrier shells. The genus Xenophora is the type genus of the family Xenophoridae.
Xenophora is also the name of the quarterly magazine of the French Conchologist Association.

Etymology

The name Xenophora comes from two ancient Greek words, and means "bearing foreigners", so-called because in most species the snail cements pieces of rock or shells to its own shell at regular intervals as the shell grows.

Description

The shells of species within this genus vary from small to large, depressed-conical, with narrow to very narrow, simple peripheral edge, non-porcellanous ventrally. Foreign objects are attached to all whorls, with generally more than 30% of dorsal surface obscured by these objects. The foreign objects are usually medium-sized to large. Although the foreign objects are usually mollusk shells, pebbles, or small pieces of coral rock, in some instances a bottle cap has been attached by the snail to its shell.

Species

The genus Xenophora includes the following species and subspecies:
; Subgenus Xenophora Kreipl, Alf & Kronenberg, 1999
;Subgenus Xenophora Fischer von Waldheim, 1807
;Species brought into synonymy:
Extinct species within this genus include:
Fossils of Xenophora are found in marine strata from the Cretaceous to Quaternary. Fossils are known all over the world.