More than 2200 species of the wild flora and fauna photographed in Zihuatanejo, Guerrero, Mexico and the surrounding area.
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Molluscs of Zihuatanejo
PHYLUM MOLLUSCA
Cerithium maculosum
-Gastropods (Class Gastropoda)
-Caenogastropods (Subclass Caenogastropoda)
-Cerith Snails and Allies (Superfamily Cerithioidea)
-Cerith Snails (Family Cerithiidae)
-Subfamily Cerithiinae
-Genus Cerithium
-Cerithium adustum
Cerithium is a genus of small to medium-sized sea snails, marine gastropod mollusks in the family Cerithiidae, the ceriths. Their nocturnal nature means they're most active during the night feeding on algae and detritus. They are native to tropical oceans.
Description
The speckled cerith (Cerithium maculosum) is a marine gastropod in the family Cerithiidae. Its sturdy, elongated, tower-shaped shell has 8–9 whorls with rows of rounded knobs beneath the sutures. The shell is greyish-white to pale grey, marked with numerous reddish-brown to dark-brown spots and blotches, and has a white aperture. It can reach approximately 5.5 cm in length.
Range
This species occurs in the tropical and subtropical eastern Pacific, from the Gulf of California and western Mexico south through Central America to Panama. It is present along the Pacific coast of Mexico, including Zihuatanejo, Guerrero.
Habitat
It inhabits shallow coastal waters, particularly sandy and muddy-sand substrates in the intertidal zone. It is also found in estuaries and in sandy pockets among rocks along sheltered shores.
Diet
The speckled cerith is an opportunistic grazer that feeds primarily on microalgae, microscopic films, and organic detritus collected from sediment and submerged surfaces.