Carinaria galea Benson 1835

Introduction

Carinaria galea is a small species with a maximal body length of 40 mm.  The shell is laterally-compressed and triangular in side profile, with a height to basal length ratio of 1.0-1.4. The keel is tall; the tallest among the species of Carinaria. The tail is very small and has a low dorsal crest. The species is found in tropical to subtropical waters and is limited to the Pacific and Indian Oceans.

Brief Diagnosis

A species of Carinaria with:

• Maximal body length of 40 mm
• Viewed laterally, shell triangular in shape with a height to basal length ratio of 1.0-1.4
• Keel conspicuous and tall
• Tail very small, with a low dorsal crest
  

Characteristics

1. Body morphology
   1. Eye shape broadly triangular in dorsal view
      
      

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      Figure. Left eye and tentacle of Carinaria galea. ©

   2. Tail very small with a low dorsal crest (see title illustration)
      
2. Shell morphology
   1. Shell laterally compressed and triangular in side view
      
   2. Anterior keel well developed; taller than in any other species of Carinaria
      
      

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      Figure. Left: stalked visceral nucleus and shell in Carinaria galea viewed from the right side. Right: scanning electron micrograph of C. galea shell from right side. Scale bar in right photograph = 5.0 mm. ©

   3. Apex of shell with protoconch, which is directed posteriorly and consists of about 3 and 3/4 whorls
      
      

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      Figure. Left: apical portion of shell with protoconch in Carinaria galea, viewed from the right side. Right: scanning electron micrograph of C. galea protoconch from right side. Scale bar in right photograph = 0.5 mm. ©

3. Larval morphology (from Seapy and Thiriot-Quiévreux, 1994)
   1. Body brown; tentacles colorless
      
   2. Velum colorless except for a large, dark-brown patch at the end of each of the six velar lobes
   3. Larval shell globular in shape; shell aperture oblong and more elongate that in other species of Carinaria
      

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      Figure. Larval shell of Carinaria galea in apertural view. ©

   4. Left side of larval shell with deep umbilicus and narrow, radiating striae that arise from the umbilical opening
      
      

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      Figure. Larval shell of Carinaria galea viewed from the left side. ©

   5. Right side of larval shell with numerous short spines that arise from low spiral ridges (seen also on the left side of the shell) and which become prominent on the last shell whorl
   6. Inner whorls on right side of larval shell with an elevated spiral ridge located adjacent to the inner suture and extending from the beginning of the second whorl to about 1/4 whorl past the beginning of the third whorl. Immediately adjacent to this well-developed ridge is a second spiral ridge that is low and narrow and ends at about the beginning of the fourth whorl
      
      

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      Figure. Larval shell of Carinaria galea viewed from the right side. ©

References

Seapy, R. R. and C. Thiriot-Quiévreux. 1994. Veliger larvae of Carinariidae (Mollusca: Heteropoda) from Hawaiian waters. Veliger 37: 336-343.