Astraea (gastropod)
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Astraea Temporal range: Paleocene - Recent |
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| a shell of Astraea heliotropium | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Mollusca |
| Class: | Gastropoda |
| Clade: | Vetigastropoda |
| Superfamily: | Trochoidea |
| Family: | Turbinidae |
| Genus: |
Astraea Röding, 1798 |
| Type species | |
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Trochus imperialis Gmelin, 1791 |
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| Synonyms | |
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Astraea is a genus of medium to large sea snails, marine gastropod mollusks in the family Turbinidae, the turban snails.
The Latin genus Astraea means star, with reference to the star-shape of these snails, also commonly called star shells.
Shells of species within this genus can reach a size of about 60 millimetres (2.4 in). They have the appearance of a smooth conical shell. The outer edges of the coiled whorls are quite flattened, with prominent axial sculpture . Below widely it is umbilicate and concave.
Extant species within this genus include:
This genus is known in the fossil records from the Paleocene to the Quaternary (age range: from 61.7 to 0.0 million years ago). Fossils of species within this genus have been found in the sediments of Europe, Australia, United States, Japan, Venezuela, Colombia and Brazil.
Extinct species within this genus include:
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