TONNA SHELL KNOWLEDGE BASE

Tonna shells

Tonna Shells Belong to the Tun family of spherical and often large, relatively thin shells, with a depressed or low spire. This shell family prefers tropical seas and most are found living in sand beyond the edge of the coral reef. Most species dwell in the Indo-Pacific region ranging from Eastern African shores further east across the northern Australian-New Zealand shoreline.

Tonna Allium (Oleria)

The Tonna Oleria is a large, thin, and lightweight shell. Its body whorl features 15 to 20 broad, flattened spiral ribs, interspersed with smaller ones. The shell's coloration is chestnut brown, accented with paler vertical streaks, and the outer lip is white with a brown edge. This species is prevalent in many seas, attributed to its free-swimming larval stage, and it has a preference for deep waters. They are considered moderately common.

Tonna tessellata, also known as the mosaic tun, tessellate tun, or maculated tun, is a species of large sea snail. It is a marine gastropod mollusk belonging to the family Tonnidae.

The shell of an adult Tonna tessellata can be as large as 1.8 to Measuring 5.9 inches, they possess a relatively thin and lightweight shell that is nearly spherical. The body whorl is inflated and features a very wide aperture. The surface is white, smooth, and glossy, adorned with distinctive brown-red markings and sculpted by thick spiral ribs. Tonna tessellata lack an operculum and feed on crustaceans, sea urchins, and fish.

This species has a wide distribution, ranging from South Africa, Madagascar, and the Western Pacific to Australia, New Zealand, Thailand, Indonesia, Papua New Guinea, Vietnam, the Philippines, and Japan. It inhabits sandy seabeds at depths ranging from 0 to 164 feet.

Scientific classification

Domain: Eukaryota

Kingdom: Animalia

Phylum: Mollusca

Class: Gastropoda

Subclass: Caenogastropoda

Order: Littorinimorpha

Family: Tonnidae

Genus: Tonna

Species: Tonna tessellata

Binomial name: Tonna tessella

(Lamarck, 1816)

(REF: Lamarck. (1816). Encycl. méthod. Vers. Atlas 3: pl. 403, figs 3a-b. World Register of Marine Species)(REF:Tonna tessellata (Lamarck, 1816). Vos, C. (2009). Tonna tessellata (Lamarck, 1816). Accessed through the World Register of Marine Species)(REF: Vos, C. (2007) A conchological Iconography (No. 13) - The family Tonnidae.)(REF: Vos, C. (2008) Tonnidae. in Poppe G.T. (ed.) Philippine Marine Mollusks, Volume 1: Gastropoda 1)(REF: Vos, C. (2013) Overview of the Tonnidae (Mollusca: Gastropoda) in Chinese waters. Gloria Maris 52)The Indian Tonna Tessalata, also known as the Spotted Tun, is a smaller variant of the Tonna Tessalata shell, commonly referred to as the Indian Tonna. These are small, delicate, and spiraled with a low spire. The outer lip concludes in a shallow siphonal notch. The body whorl features 10 to 20 spiral ribs, adorned with white, cream, or pale brown colors and square-like blotches on the ribs, while the apex is brown. This species is distributed from the western Indian Ocean eastward to the northern shores of Australia and New Zealand, and northward to the southern coast of Japan. The average size of the shells found is about 5 inches, and they are deemed moderately common. Its scientific name is Tonna Dolium.