Marginella

Marginella is a very large genus of small tropical and temperate sea snails, marine gastropod molluscs in the subfamily Marginellinae of the family Marginellidae, the margin snails. It is a type of genus family.

The shells of species in this genus are rounded, smooth and glossy, with a large aperture that appears to be toothed because it shows the edge of the columellar folds. In many species the shells are colorful. The glossy surface of the shell results from the fact that the mantle covers most of the shell when the animal is active. As is typical in the Neogastropoda, the animal has a long siphon. When the animal is active, the foot extends much further out than the edge of the shell.

As is also typical for the Neogastropoda, species in this genus are carnivorous and also predatory.

Etymology Marginella means "little margin".

Shell description The shells of the species in this genus have spires which range from moderately elevated to flattened. The surface of the shell is glossy and porcellaneous, and it is often but not always colourful. The columella has four definite, subequal plaits on its anterior half. The outer lip is thickened, and generally denticulate inside, with distinct teeth or folds.Powell A W B, New Zealand Mollusca, William Collins Publishers Ltd, Auckland, New Zealand 1979 The siphonal canal is not deeply incised.

There is no operculum.

Description of the soft parts In the living animal, the mantle only partly extends over the shell when the animal is moving.

The head is bifurcated, with slender tentacles and eyes in small bulges lateral to the base of tentacles. The siphon is large and protrudes over the head. The foot is large and flat, and when it is extended is slightly longer than the shell.

Ecology Distribution This genus is found in tropical and temperate seas worldwide.

Species Species within the genus Marginella include:

Marginella adamasoides Lussi, 2013 Marginella adamkusi Bozzetti, 1994 Marginella aequinoctialis Boyer & Simbille, 2004 Marginella agadirensis T. Cossignani, 2022 Marginella aikeni V. Veldsman & S. G. Veldsman, 2012 Marginella albidens R. Aiken, 2019 Marginella albocincta Sowerby I, 1846 Marginella alborubra Rosado & Monteiro, 2015 Marginella albospira S. G. Veldsman, 2013 Marginella aletae S. G. Veldsman, 2024 Marginella aliwalensis S. G. Veldsman, 2013 Marginella almae S. G. Veldsman, 2024 Marginella amazona Bavay, 1912 Marginella amirantensis Boyer & Rosado, 2019 Marginella anapaulae Massier, 2004 Marginella angsanana K. Martin, 1921 Marginella anna Jousseaume, 1881 † Marginella antepiperata R. Aiken, 2020 Marginella arcana S. G. Veldsman, Aiken & J. H. Veldsman, 2014 † Marginella arena Cotton, 1949 Marginella aronnax Bouchet & Warén, 1985 Marginella aurantia Lamarck, 1822 † Marginella aurisleporis (Brocchi, 1814) † † Marginella aurora Dall, 1890 Marginella aurugo S. G. Veldsman, 2022 Marginella bairstowi Sowerby III, 1886 Marginella bavayi Dautzenberg, 1910 † Marginella beberkiriana K. Martin, 1906 Marginella belcheri Hinds, 1844 Marginella benthedii Boyer & Rosado, 2019 Marginella bicatenata Sowerby III, 1914 Marginella blanco S. G. Veldsman & J. H. Veldsman, 2024 Marginella boetveldsmani S. G.Veldsman, 2024 Marginella bombus S. G. Veldsman, 2022 Marginella britoi Rolán & Gori, 2014 Marginella broderickae Hayes, 2001 Marginella buffaloensis S. G. Veldsman, 2024 Marginella caliginosa S. G. Velsdman & V. Veldsman, 2024 Marginella carlae S. G. Veldsman, 2013 Marginella carmenae Ortega & Gofas, 2019 Marginella carquejai Gofas & Fernandes, 1994 Marginella catenata Boyer & Rosado, 2019 Marginella caterinae Bozzetti, 1991 Marginella celestae Massier & Rosado, 2008 Marginella celosia S. G. Veldsman, 2021 Marginella chalmersi Tomlin & Shackleford, 1912 † Marginella charma Cotton, 1949 Marginella circumflexa S. G. Veldsman, 2021 Marginella claustra Boyer & Rosado, 2019 † Marginella clenchi M. Smith, 1936 Marginella cleryi Petit De La Saussaye, 1836 † Marginella clima Cotton, 1949 Marginella cloveri Rios & Matthews, 1972 Marginella colombi T. Cossignani, 2012 Marginella colomborum (Bozzetti, 1995) Marginella confortinii Bozzetti, 1992 Marginella confusa R. Aiken, 2019 Marginella coovertorum S. G. Veldsman & J. H. Veldsman, 2022 Marginella coronata Boyer & Rosado, 2019 Marginella cosmia Bartsch, 1915 Marginella croceus S. G. Veldsman, 2015 Marginella davisae S. G. Veldsman, 2021 † Marginella deshayesi Michelotti, 1847 Marginella desjardini Marche-Marchad, 1957 Marginella diadochus Adams & Reeve, 1848 † Marginella dijki K. Martin, 1884 Marginella dilucida S. G. Velsdman & V. Veldsman, 2024 Marginella dimidiata Thiele, 1925 Marginella donaikeni S. G. Veldsman, J. H. Veldsman & R. Aiken, 2016 Marginella dyoseires R. Aiken & Seccombe, 2022 Marginella edwardensis S. G. Veldsman, 2013 Marginella elegans T. Cossignani, 2021 Marginella elegantissima S. G. Veldsman, 2021 Marginella elephantina S. G. Veldsman, 2013 Marginella elioi S. G. Veldsman & J. H. Veldsman, 2024 Marginella emmae Bozzetti, 1998 Marginella epipolia Tomlin, 1921 Marginella eucosmia Bartsch, 1915 Marginella evansorum V. Veldsman, S.G. Veldsman & Aiken, 2012 Marginella everriculum S. G. Veldsman, 2018 Marginella exigua S. G. Veldsman, 2021 Marginella falsebayensis V. Velsdman & S. G. Veldsman, 2012 Marginella felixi Massier, 2004 Marginella festiva Kiener, 1841 Marginella fimbriata Boyer & Rosado, 2019 Marginella fishhoenkensis Massier, 2004 Marginella floccata Sowerby III, 1889 Marginella florescopicturata S. G. Veldsman, 2024 † Marginella formosa M. Smith, 1946 Marginella fraserorum Aiken, 2014 Marginella fulvocincta W. H. Turton, 1932 Marginella fuscopicta W. H. Turton, 1932 Marginella gabrielae Bozzetti, 1998 Marginella gemma Adams, 1850 Marginella gemmula Bavay in Dautzenberg, 1913 Marginella gennesi H. Fisher, 1901 Marginella geraldi Lussi, 2006 Marginella gilva Goud & Neefs, 1996 † Marginella giuntellii Sosso, Brunetti & Dell'Angelo, 2015 Marginella glabella (Linnaeus, 1758) Marginella gloriosa Jousseaume, 1884 † Marginella goncalvesi R. Aiken, 2020 Marginella gonubiensis S. G. Veldsman, 2024 Marginella goodalli Sowerby I, 1825 Marginella gracilenta S. G. Veldsman, 2015 † Marginella grissensis K. Martin, 1884 Marginella groenewaldi S. G. Veldsman, 2024 Marginella gustavoi Pérez-Dionis, Ortea & Espinosa, 2009 Marginella harveyorum R. Aiken, 2019 Marginella hayesi Bozzetti, 1993 Marginella helmatina Rang, 1832 Marginella henrikasi Bozzetti, 1995 Marginella hernandezi Rolán & Gori, 2014 Marginella himburgae Massier & Zettler, 2009 † Marginella hordeacea Tate, 1878 Marginella houtbaaiensis S. G. Veldsman, 2013 Marginella huberti Clover, 1972 Marginella humeronotata S. G. Veldsman & R. Aiken, 2022 Marginella hybrida Cossignani, 2006 † Marginella iberica Landau, La Perna & Marquet, 2006 † Marginella ickei K. Martin, 1916 Marginella ignifer S. G. Veldsman, 2017 Marginella immelmani Hart M., 2001 Marginella impudica P. Fischer, 1883 Marginella irrorata Menke, 1828 Marginella jeareyae R. Aiken & Seccombe, 2022 Marginella jeffreysbayensis S. G. Veldsman, 2017 Marginella joanae Bozzetti, 2001 Marginella joanmassierae Bozzetti, 1992 Marginella joostei Liltved & Millard, 1994 Marginella keiensis S. G. Veldsman, 2017 Marginella jucunda S. G. Veldsman, 2017 Marginella kilburni Lussi, 2013 Marginella lamarcki Boyer, 2004 Marginella lateritia Melvill & Sykes, 1903 Marginella lauriesmithi S. G. Veldsman, 2020 Marginella leilaniae S. G. Veldsman, 2022 Marginella lemaitrei Liltved & Millard, 1994 Marginella leoi S. G. Veldsman, 2013 Marginella limbata Lamarck, 1822 Marginella lindae S. G. Veldsman, 2013 Marginella lindaswartae S. G. Veldsman, 2024 Marginella lineofasciata Bozzetti, 1992 Marginella lineolata Sowerby III, 1886 Marginella liparozona Tomlin & Shackleford, 1913 Marginella lucani Jousseaume, 1884 Marginella luculenta Gofas & Fernandes, 1994 Marginella lussii Hayes & Millard, 1995 Marginella lutea Sowerby III, 1889 Marginella maculata S. G. Veldsman, 2013 † Marginella mala Cotton, 1949 Marginella malva S. G. Veldsman, 2021 Marginella manzimtotiensis S. G. Veldsman, 2017 Marginella mariaodetai Cossignani, 2010 Marginella mariaodeteae Cossignani, 2014 Marginella marimba Gofas & Fernandes, 1994 Marginella marocana Locard, 1897 Marginella martiae S. G. Veldsman, 2017 Marginella mattavellii T. Cossignani, 2021 Marginella mattheeorum V. Veldsman, S. G. Veldsman & Aiken, 2012 Marginella mauretanica Boyer & Neefs, 1999 Marginella mbotyiensis Aiken, 2014 Marginella mella S. G. Veldsman, 2022 Marginella melvilli Tomlin & Shackleford, 1913 Marginella michelae T. Cossignani, 2012 Marginella millardi Lussi, 1993 Marginella miniroseolineata R. Aiken, 2019 Marginella minuscula (Turton, 1932) Marginella mirandai Rolán & Gori, 2014 Marginella monicae Bozzetti, 1997 Marginella monozona Turton, 1932 Marginella mooi R. Aiken, 2019 Marginella mosaica Sowerby II, 1846 Marginella mosterti S. G. Veldsman, R. Aiken & J. H. Veldsman, 2017 Marginella munda E.A. Smith, 1904 Marginella musica Hinds, 1844 Marginella mzimayiensis S. G. Veldsman, Aiken & J. H. Veldsman, 2015 Marginella nahoonensis S. G. Velsdman & V. Veldsman, 2024 Marginella namaqua S. G. Veldsman & J. H. Veldsman, 2023 Marginella natalcinerea Massier, 1993 Marginella nebulosa ( in Röding, 1798) Marginella nevillana Kilburn, 1977 Marginella nigromaculata S. G. Veldsman, 2017 Marginella nimbosa S. G. Veldsman, 2013 † Marginella nitidula Deshayes, 1835 Marginella nkwaziensis S. G. Veldsman, 2017 Marginella obliqua S. G. Veldsman, Aiken & J. H. Veldsman, 2014 Marginella olearegina S. G. Veldsman, 2020 Marginella olivarum S. G. Veldsman & J. H. Veldsman, 2015 Marginella ornata Redfield, 1870 Marginella orstomi Coomans, 1975 † Marginella ovata I. Lea, 1833 Marginella pachista Tomlin 1913 Marginella palleukos Aiken, 2014 Marginella parkrynieensis V. Veldsman, S. G. Veldsman & Aiken, 2012 Marginella parvamaculofera S. G. Veldsman, 2024 Marginella peelae Bozzetti, 1993 Marginella perelegans S. G. Veldsman, 2021 Marginella persicum S. G. Veldsman, 2017 Marginella petitii Duval, 1841 Marginella philipi S. G. Veldsman, 2013 Marginella picturata G. Nevill & H. Nevill, 1874 Marginella piperata Hinds, 1844 Marginella pokkiae J. H. Veldsman & S. G. Veldsman, 2021 Marginella ponderosa S. G. Veldsman, 2022 Marginella pondo S. G. Veldsman, 2017 Marginella poppei Boyer & Neefs, 1999 Marginella praeacuta S. G. Veldsman & R. Aiken, 2022 Marginella praeclara S. G. Veldsman, 2021 Marginella procera Boyer & Rosado, 2019 Marginella pseudocleryi T. Cossignani, 2021 Marginella pseudodesjardini Le Béon, 2012 Marginella pseudoglabella Mattavelli, 2018 Marginella pseudopachista Aiken, 2014 † Marginella pseudopoppei R. Aiken, 2020 Marginella pseudornata Bozzetti, 1992 Marginella pseudorosea S. G. Veldsman, 2013 Marginella pseudosebastiani Mattavelli, 2001 Marginella pulex Ortega & Gofas, 2019 Marginella punctilineata E.A. Smith, 1899 Marginella puniceus S. G. Veldsman, 2014 Marginella purpurea Cossignani, 2006 Marginella raybaudiae F. Boyer & Rosado, 2024 † Marginella rembangensis K. Martin, 1906 † Marginella reussi K. Martin, 1879 Marginella richardsbayensis Lussi, 2013 Marginella rosadialeukos Aiken, 2014 Marginella rosea Lamarck, 1822 Marginella roseafasciata Massier, 1993 Marginella roseaflavescens S. G. Veldsman, J. H. Veldsman & Aiken, 2016 Marginella roseolineata Turton, 1932 Marginella rubescens S. G. Veldsman, 2017 Marginella rubrocincta Turton, 1932 Marginella rubrovittata S. G. Veldsman, J. H. Veldsman & R. Aiken, 2016 Marginella rutila Boyer & Rosado, 2019 Marginella sagena S. G. Veldsman, 2018 Marginella salmorosea S. G. Veldsman, 2024 Marginella san S.G. Veldsman, 2014