Tusk shell
Antalis entalis
ORDER
Dentaliida
FAMILY
Dentaliidae
TAXONOMY
Dentalium entale Linnaeus, 1758, European, Indian Oceans.
OTHER COMMON NAMES
English: Entale tusk.
PHYSICAL CHARACTERISTICS
Smooth white shell, sometimes with faint longitudinal ribs toward the apex. Can reach an inch or more (several centimeters) in length, with the maximum diameter at the anterior opening. The posterior opening often has a shallow notch on its concave side.
DISTRIBUTION
Northeastern Atlantic from Ireland to the Canary Islands; one subspecies, A. entalis stimpsoni, is found in the northwestern Atlantic from Nova Scotia to Cape Cod.
HABITAT
Soft sediments at depths of several feet to about 6,600 ft (2,000 m).
BEHAVIOR
Often depicted with posterior opening protruding from the sediment surface.
FEEDING ECOLOGY AND DIET
Microomnivorous but prefers foraminiferans.
REPRODUCTIVE BIOLOGY
Sexes are separate; eggs and sperm are released into the water column for fertilization and development. Used as a model organism for studies of experimental embryology.
CONSERVATION STATUS
Not threatened.
SIGNIFICANCE TO HUMANS
None known.
