Research project: Global diversity and evolution of Vermetidae worm-snails
Dates
- Start date:
- 2010
Vermetid researchers
Tim Collins
© Tim Collins
Museum investigators
External investigators
Funded by
- National Science Foundation (NSF) DEB/REVSYS grant 0841760 awarded to R. Bieler, T. Collins, T. Rawlings and J. Healy
Description
Project website: www.vermetus.org
The Vermetidae are a family of gastropod molluscs which comprises about 150 extant species. Vermetids are often called ‘worm-snails’, because their appearance is very different from most other marine molluscs, and they superficially resemble some tube worms (polychaetes). They are irregularly-coiled suspension-feeders which live permanently cemented to rock, shell or coral substrates. Some species are reef-builders, and many are ecologically sensitive and/or threatened. Several species are fouling organisms on boat hulls and power-plant channels. The taxonomy of Vermetidae is poorly resolved, and they are not often included in biodiversity surveys or museum shell collections.
As part of a larger, collaborative project to elucidate the evolution of Vermetidae and resolve the convoluted taxonomic dilemmas of this group, postdoctoral researcher Rosemary Golding was involved in several components of the research program:
- A global morphological revision of Dendropoma, using anatomical, opercular and conchological information to resolve species and genus-level structure
- A survey of West Atlantic Vermetidae, including surveys of coral habitat in Barbados and Belize
- Evolution and variation in protoconch morphology across vermetid worm-snails
Rosemary Golding
, Scientific Officer
Last Updated:
