Belongs within: Cerithiimorpha.
Bittium is a genus of small high-spired gastropods found primarily in cold and temperate waters in the eastern Atlantic. Like the related genus Cerithium, Bittium has been confused with other similar taxa in the past. Small Cerithium, in particular, have often been identified as Bittium but Cerithium has a single primary spiral cord on its whorls whereas Bittium has two cords apically becoming four distally. Fossils of Bittium have been recorded extending back to the Palaeocene with fossil representatives being very similar to modern species (Houbrick 1977).
Subgenera proposed within the genus on the basis of shell morphology may be invalid with different shell morphologies sometimes found within a single population (Houbrick 1977). Cacozeliana has been recognised for species with granular whorls and few whorls in the operculum (Wilson 1993).
Characters (Houbrick 1977): Shell small, turreted and elongate, consisting of many moderately inflated or angular whorls (6–10). Sculpture normally reticulate, of varying combinations of spiral cords and axial riblets, frequently beaded at intersections. Usually 3 spiral cords per whorl. Former varices usually present at irregular intervals. Suture distinct, straight. Protoconch about 2.5 whorls, smooth, but sometimes with several spiral lirations. Frequently, teleoconch strongly reticulate. Aperture ovate with short, shallow, anterior siphonal canal that is not reflected backwards. Weak anal sinus present. Columella concave and with slight callus. Outer lip thin, smooth and rounded, occasionally flaired at the base on some individuals. Base of last whorl sculptured with 5-6 spiral cords. Last whorl occasionally contracted in some individuals. Periostracum thin. Animal: Moderate sized foot with ciliated duct on right side terminating in knob-like ovipositor. Operculum thin, corneous, ovate and paucispiral with an excentric nucleus. Snout moderately large, flattened dorso-ventrally. Eyes at bases of tentacles. Mantle cavity deep with long monopectinate ctenidium extending its length, ending at anterior siphon. Osphradium bipectinate. Hypobranchial gland well-developed, large. Intestine wide, rectum distal to end of gonoduct. Feces cylindrical with mucus filament at one end. Pallial gonoducts in both sexes open, consisting of two laminae joined dorsally to mantle roof. Males aphallic, producing spermatophores about 1 mm in length containing eupyrene and apyrene spermatozoa. Eupyrene spermatozoa with nucleus about one-twentieth the total length of sperm and with spiral keel on flagellum. Female pallial oviduct a glandular groove between two deep laminae joined at dorsal wall and open ventrally. In medial lamina, an open sperm-collecting gutter runs into a ciliated tube that opens into a “bursa” at the proximal end of the medial lamina. Bursa is anterior to two seminal receptacles, the first of which serves as a receptacle for the spermatophore, in the left wall of the duct and the second along the free edge of the wall. Nervous system characterized by very large nerve ring and large cerebral ganglia. Jaws cuticular, conical and rough surfaced. Stomach with style-sac and large crystalline style. Radula taenioglossate, ribbon long, about 50 rows. Rachidian tooth squarish, concave at top with one large central cusp flanked by three denticles on each side. Base of rachidian concave with two short lateral projections. Lateral tooth rhomboidal, serrated on top with two small entocones, large pointed mesocone and four small ectocones, respectively. Base of lateral tooth with two extensions, one at each side; outer basal projection broad, long and extending laterally. Marginal teeth long, curved, spatulate and serrated at tips. Inner marginal tooth serrated with four entocones, large pointed mesocone and three sharp ectocones. Outer marginal tooth serrated with four to six entocones, outer surface smooth. Eggs tiny, deposited in gelatinous string that may be coiled counterclockwise into a spiral from 3 to 25 mm in length or irregularly folded on itself. Egg mass containing several hundred small, opaque eggs, each about 60–70 µm in diameter. Larvae planktotrophic with bilobed, colorless velum; right velar lobe somewhat larger than left. Larval foot colorless. Larval shell about 2.5 whorls, smooth except for median spiral ridge on second whorl. Sutures and columella reddish brown. Outer lip with prominent tongue-shaped beak.
<==Bittium Leach in Gray 1847 (see below for synonymy)H77
|--B. (Bittium)W93
| |--*B. (B.) reticulatum (Costa 1778)H77 (see below for synonymy)
| |--B. (B.) diplax Watson 1886W93
| |--B. (B.) elegantissimum (Hedley 1899)W93 [=Cerithium elegantissimumH09; incl. B. torresiense Melvill & Standen 1899W93]
| |--B. (B.) porcellanum Watson 1886W93
| |--B. (B.) pupiforme Watson 1880W93
| |--B. (B.) xanthum Watson 1886W93
| `--B. (B.) zebrum (Kiener 1842)W93 [=Cerithium zebrumH77]
`--B. (Cacozeliana Strand 1928) [incl. Cacozelia Iredale 1924 non Grote 1878]W93
|--B. (*C.) granarium Kiener 1842W93 (see below for synonymy)
|--B. (C.) furva Watson 1886W93
|--B. (C.) fuscocapitulum Hedley & Petterd 1906W93
|--B. (C.) icarus (Bayle 1880)W93
`--B. (C.) variegatum Henn & Brazier 1894W93
Bittium incertae sedis:
B. adversum [=Murex adversum]H77
B. alternatumD56
‘Bittiolum’ annettae (Dall 1892)W62
B. armillatum Carpenter 1864 [=B. (Semibittium) armillatum]O27
B. asperoides Gabb 1873W62
B. asperum Carpenter 1864C64 [=B. (Lirobittium) asperumO27, Turbonilla asperaC64]
|--B. a. asperumO27
`--B. a. lomaense Bartsch 1911 [=B. (Lirobittium) asperum lomaense]O27
B. attenuatum Carpenter 1864 [=B. (Semibittium) attenuatum]O27
|--B. a. attenuatumO27
|--B. a. boreale Bartsch 1911 [=B. (Semibittium) attenuatum boreale]O27
|--B. a. latifilosum Bartsch 1911 [=B. (Semibittium) attenuatum latifilosum]O27
`--B. a. multifilosum Bartsch 1907 [=B. (Semibittium) attenuatum multifilosum]O27
B. cancellatum (Lamarck 1804) [=Cerithium cancellatum, *Semibittium cancellatum]H77
B. caraboboense Weisbord 1962 [=B. (*Brachybittium) caraboboense]H77
‘Bittiolum’ caribense Weisbord 1962W62
B. catalinensis Bartsch 1907 [=B. (*Lirobittium) catalinensis]H77
|--B. c. catalinensisO27
`--B. c. inornatum Bartsch 1911 [=B. (Lirobittium) catalinense inornatum]O27
B. challisae Bartsch 1917 [=B. (Semibittium) challisae]O27
B. chrysomallum Melville 1901M01
B. cylindricum Watson 1881WG71
‘Zebittium’ editum Powell 1930P61
B. ‘elegantissimum’ [=Murex elegantissimum non Cerithium elegantissimum Hedley 1899]H77
B. eschrichti (Middendorff 1849)H77 (see below for synonymy)
|--B. e. eschrichtiiO27
|--B. e. icelum Bartsch 1907 [=B. (Stylidium) eschrichti icelum]O27
`--B. e. montereyense Bartsch 1907 [=B. (Stylidium) eschrichti montereyense]O27
B. esuriensC64
B. exile (Hutton 1873)F26 [=Cerithium exilisP61, *Zebittium exileH77]
B. fastigiatum Carpenter 1864C64
B. fetellum Bartsch 1911 [=B. (Lirobittium) fetellum]O27
B. interfossa (Carpenter 1864)H77 [=Rissoa interfossaO27, B. (Lirobittium) interfossaO27]
B. johnstonae Bartsch 1911O27
‘*Inobittium’ lacteum (Philippi 1836)H77
‘Zebittium’ laevicordatum Powell 1937P61
B. larum Bartsch 1911 [=B. (Lirobittium) larum]O27
‘*Monobittium’ latreillei (Payraudeau 1826)H77
B. munitum (Carpenter 1864) [=Cerithiopsis munita, B. (Lirobittium) munitum]O27
|--B. m. munitumO27
`--B. m. munitoide Bartsch 1911 [=B. (Lirobittium) munitum munitoide]O27
B. nitensC64
B. nugatorium (Brown & Pilsbry 1911)W62
B. oldroydi Bartsch 1911 [=B. (Lirobittium) oldroydi]O27
B. ornatissimum Bartsch 1911 [=B. (Lirobittium) ornatissimum]O27
B. paganicum Dall 1919 [=B. (Stylidium) paganicum]O27
B. palitoense Weisbord 1962 [=B. (Brachybittium) palitoense]W62
B. perparvulum Watson 1886H09
B. plicatumC64
B. podagrinum Dall 1892 [=*Bittiolum podagrinum]H77
B. proteum (Jousseaume 1930)BD86 [=Cerithium proteumH77; incl. *Dahlakia leilae Biggs 1971H77]
B. purpureum (Carpenter 1864) [=Cerithiopsis purpurea, B. (Semibittium) purpureum]O27
B. quadrifilatum (Carpenter 1864)H77 [=B. (Semibittium) quadrifilatumO27]
|--B. q. quadrifilatumO27
`--B. q. ingens Bartsch 1907 [=B. (Semibittium) quadrifilatum ingens]O27
B. rugatum Carpenter 1866 [=B. (Semibittium) rugatum]O27
B. salinae Weisbord 1962 [=B. (Brachybittium) salinae]W62
B. sanjuanensis Bartsch 1917 [=B. (Semibittium) sanjuanensis]O27
B. semilaevis Tennison Woods 1877P79
B. serra Bartsch 1917 [=B. (Semibittium) serra]O27
‘*Bittiscalia’ simplex (Marshall 1917)H77
B. spenceri [=Murex spenceri]H77
B. subplanatum Bartsch 1911 [=B. (Semibittium) subplanatum]O27
B. tricarinatum Pease 1861K65
B. tuberculare [=Murex tuberculare]H77
B. tumidum Bartsch 1907 [=B. (Semibittium) tumidum]O27
B. turritelliformis Angas 1877H08
B. vancouverense Dall & Bartsch 1910 [=B. (Semibittium) vancouverense]O27
B. varium (Pfeiffer 1840) [=Diastoma varium; incl. D. virginica Henderson & Bartsch 1914, Bittium virginicum]H77
B. venezuelanum Weisbord 1962 [=B. (Brachybittium) venezuelanum]W62
B. vitreum Suter 1908F26 [=Zebittium vitreumP61]
Bittium Leach in Gray 1847 [=Cerithiolum Tiberi 1869; incl. Bittiolum Cossmann 1906, Bittiscalia Finlay & Marwick 1937, Brachybittium Weisbord 1962, Dahlakia Biggs 1971, Inobittium Monterosato 1917, Lirobittium Bartsch 1911, Monobittium Monterosato 1917, Parabittium Cotton 1932 non Cossmann 1902, Semibittium Cossmann 1869, Stylidium Dall in Bartsch 1907 nec Loureiro 1790 (ICBN) nec Swartz 1805 (ICBN), Zebittium Finlay 1927; Bittiidae, Bittiinae]H77
Bittium eschrichti (Middendorff 1849)H77 [=Turritella eschrichtiiC64, B. (*Stylidium) eschrichtiH77; incl. Cerithium filosum Gld. 1849 non Phil. 1848C64, B. filosumC64]
*Bittium (Bittium) reticulatum (Costa 1778)H77 [=Strombiformis reticulatusH77, *Cerithiolum (Strombiformis) reticulatumH77, Cerithium reticulatumO27, Murex reticulatusH77]
Bittium (*Cacozeliana) granarium Kiener 1842W93 [=Cacozelia granariaF26; incl. Cerithium lacertina Gould 1861H77, *Cacozelia lacertinaW93, Cacozeliana lacertinaH77]
*Type species of generic name indicated
References
[BD86] Barash, A., & Z. Danin. 1986. Further additions to the knowledge of Indo-Pacific Mollusca in the Mediterranean Sea (Lessepsian migrants). Spixiana 9 (2): 117–141.
[C64] Carpenter, P. P. 1864. Supplementary report on the present state of our knowledge with regard to the Mollusca of the west coast of North America. Report of the British Association for the Advancement of Science 33: 517–686.
[D56] Dawes, B. 1956. The Trematoda with special reference to British and other European forms 2nd ed. University Press: Cambridge.
[F26] Finlay, H. J. 1926. A further commentary on New Zealand molluscan systematics. Transactions and Proceedings of the New Zealand Institute 57: 320–485.
[H08] Hedley, C. 1908. Studies on Australian Mollusca. Part X. Proceedings of the Linnean Society of New South Wales 33: 456–489, pls 7–10.
[H09] Hedley, C. 1909. The Marine Fauna of Queensland: Address by the President of Section D. Australasian Association for the Advancement of Science: Brisbane.
[H77] Houbrick, R. S. 1977. Reevaluation and new description of the genus Bittium (Cerithiidae). Veliger 20 (2): 101–106.
[K65] Kay, E. A. 1965. Marine molluscs in the Cuming collection, British Museum (Natural History) described by William Harper Pease. Bulletin of the British Museum (Natural History): Zoology Supplement 1: 1–96, 14 pls.
[M01] Melville, J. C. 1901. A few further remarks upon the Erythrean molluscan fauna, with descriptions of seven species from Aden, in the collection of Commander E. R. Shopland, R.I.M. Annals and Magazine of Natural History, series 7, 7: 550–556.
[O27] Oldroyd, I. S. 1927. The Marine Shells of the West Coast of North America vol. 2 pt 3. Stanford University Press: Stanford University (California).
[P79] Petterd, W. F. 1879. List of the freshwater shells of Tasmania. Journal of Conchology 2: 80–88.
[P61] Powell, A. W. B. 1961. Shells of New Zealand: An illustrated handbook 4th ed. Whitcombe and Tombs Limited: Christchurch.
[W62] Weisbord, N. E. 1962. Late Cenozoic gastropods from northern Venezuela. Bulletins of American Paleontology 62: 7–672.
[W93] Wilson, B. 1993. Australian Marine Shells vol. 1. Prosobranch Gastropods. Part One. Odyssey Publishing: Kallaroo (Western Australia).
[WG71] Wilson, B. R., & K. Gillett. 1971. Australian Shells: illustrating and describing 600 species of marine gastropods found in Australian waters. A. H. & A. W. Reed: Sydney.