CONTRIBUCIÓN AL CONOCIMIENTO DEL GÉNERO VOLUTA LINNE, 1758 (PROSOBRANCHIA) EN LA COSTA DEL CARIBE COLOMBIANO

Abstract

Distribution and ecology of the two species of Voluta Linné, 1758, V. virescens and V. música at the Caribbean coast of Colombia are treated. V. virescens occurs between Wounta Haulover, Nicaragua, and Taganga (Santa Marta), Colombia. It inhabits obligately soft bottom and lives in mud, fine sand and coraline sand from shallow water down to a depth of 90 m. V. música occurs in the eastern and southern part of the Caribbean sea. In Colombia it goes as far westward as Ensenada de Chengue, east of Santa Marta. It lives in sand with coraline lime and has not been observed in mud and mineral sand. Its vertical distribution is from shallow water down to about 40 m. Both species live completely buried in the sand and prey on gastropods and other invertebrates, they also eat carrion. The radula of V. virescens is described and figured. The function of a biological barrier east of Santa Marta is discussed, which forms a distribution limit for some mollusks.