Biology:Cumia intertexta
| Cumia intertexta | |
|---|---|
_e_S._Maria_al_Bagno_(collezione_Roberto_Ardovini).jpg)
| |
Scientific classification 
| |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Mollusca |
| Class: | Gastropoda |
| Subclass: | Caenogastropoda |
| Order: | Neogastropoda |
| Family: | Colubrariidae |
| Genus: | Cumia |
| Species: | C. intertexta
|
| Binomial name | |
| Cumia intertexta (Helbling, 1779)
| |
| Synonyms | |
|
List
| |
Cumia intertexta, commonly known as the Mediterranean vampire snail, is a species of marine gastropod in the family Colubrariidae. It is characterized by its hematophagous feeding habits, as it feeds by sucking blood from fish.
In 2026, the species was the winner of the International Mollusc of the Year, an initiative that annually selects five candidate species for a public vote; the top-voted species is awarded full genome sequencing by the Senckenberg Society for Nature Research.[1] Other candidates in 2026 were Ephippodonta lunata, Lithoredo abatanica, Triplofusus giganteus, and Vaginula seychellensis. In 2025, the award went to the genus Muusoctopus, a deep-sea octopus.
Distribution and habitat
Cumia intertexta reaches a maximum length of about 3 centimetres (1.2 in) and is found in the southern part of the Mediterranean basin (including Sardinia, Sicily, Apulia, Calabria, and the North African coasts). Its distribution largely overlaps with that of Sparisoma cretense (Mediterranean parrotfish), although it may also feed on other fish species such as gobies, scorpionfish, stargazers, and blennies.[2]
Biology
This species is the only representative of the family Colubrariidae in the Mediterranean Sea, a family that includes about one hundred species, most of which are hematophagous. These gastropods typically inhabit shallow waters, hiding during the day under stones or in crevices in rocks and coral reefs, and becoming active at night.[3]
The venom of Cumia intertexta contains numerous bioactive proteins, including anticoagulants, anesthetics, tissue-dissolving proteins, and an enzyme capable of increasing the fish's blood pressure, thereby accelerating feeding. Some of these proteins may have potential applications in the treatment of human diseases.[4]
-
Cumia intertexta with its proboscis extended -
Cumia intertexta feeding on a scorpionfish -
Cumia intertexta feeding on a goby
References
- ↑ "Mollusc of the Year 2026". https://www.unitasmalacologica.org/mollusc-of-the-year-2026-winner.html.
- ↑ Oliverio, M.; Modica, M. V. (2010). "Relationships of the haematophagous marine snail Colubraria (Rachiglossa: Colubrariidae), within the neogastropod phylogenetic framework". Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society 158 (4): 779–800. doi:10.1111/j.1096-3642.2009.00568.x. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1096-3642.2009.00568.x.
- ↑ Bouchet, P.; Perrine, D. (1996). "More gastropods feeding at night on parrotfishes". Bulletin of Marine Science 59: 224–228.
- ↑ Modica, M. V.; Lombardo, F.; Franchini, P.; Oliverio, M. (2015). "The venomous cocktail of the vampire snail Colubraria reticulata (Mollusca, Gastropoda)". BMC Genomics 16 (1): 441. doi:10.1186/s12864-015-1648-4. PMID 26054852.
External links
- Cumia intertexta (Helbling, 1779) at MolluscaBase
- International Mollusc of the Year
- Cumia intertexta – Mediterranean vampire snail
Wikidata ☰ Q139409946 entry
 |  |
