# Xenophora

Xenophora, commonly called carrier shells, is a genus of medium-sized to large sea snails, marine gastropod mollusks in the family Xenophoridae, the carrier snails or carrier shells. The genus Xenophora is the type genus of the family Xenophoridae.

## Etymology

The name Xenophora comes from two ancient Greek words, and means "bearing foreigners", so-called because in most species the snail cements pieces of rock or shells to its own shell at regular intervals as the shell grows.

## Description

The shells of species within this genus vary from small to large (diameter of base without attachments 19–90 mm; height of shell 21–60 mm), depressed-conical, with narrow to very narrow, simple peripheral edge, non-porcellanous ventrally. Foreign objects are attached to all whorls, with generally more than 30% of dorsal surface obscured by these objects. The foreign objects are usually medium-sized to large. Although the foreign objects are usually mollusk shells, pebbles, or small pieces of coral rock, in some instances a bottle cap has been attached by the snail to its shell.

## Species

The genus Xenophora includes the following species and subspecies:
* Xenophora minuta Qi & Ma, 1986
* Xenophora robusta Verrill, 1870

### Subgenus Xenophora (Austrophora) Kreipl, Alf & Kronenberg, 1999

* Xenophora flindersi (Cotton & Godfrey, 1938)

### Subgenus Xenophora (Xenophora) Fischer von Waldheim, 1807

* Xenophora cerea (Reeve, 1845)
* Xenophora chinensis Philippi, 1841)
* Xenophora conchyliophora (Born, 1780) - American carriersnail (type species of Xenophora)
* Xenophora corrugata (Reeve, 1842)
* Xenophora crispa (König, 1825)
* Xenophora granulosa Ponder, 1983
* Xenophora japonica Kuroda & Habe in Kuroda et al., 1971
* Xenophora konoi Habe, 1953
* Xenophora mekranensis (Newton, 1905)
* Xenophora neozelanica Suter, 1908 - New Zealand carriershell
** Xenophora neozelandica neozelandica Suter, 1908
** Xenophora neozelandica kermadecensis Ponder, 1983
* Xenophora pallidula (Reeve, 1842) - pallid carrier shell
* Xenophora peroniana (Iredale, 1929)
** Xenophora peroniana peroniana (Iredale, 1929)
** Xenophora peroniana kondoi Ponder 1983
* Xenophora senegalensis Fischer, 1873
* Xenophora sinensis Qi & Li, 1986
* Xenophora solarioides (Reeve, 1845)
* Xenophora tenuis Fulton, 1938

### Species brought into synonymy

* Subgenus Xenophora (Stellaria) Möller, 1832: synonym of Stellaria Möller, 1832
* Xenophora (Stellaria) testigera (Bronn, 1831): synonym of Stellaria testigera (Bronn, 1831)
* Xenophora australis Souverbie & Montrouzier, 1870: synonym of Xenophora (Xenophora) solarioides (Reeve, 1845)
* Xenophora calculifera (Reeve, 1843): synonym of Stellaria chinensis (Philippi, 1841)
* Xenophora caperata sensu Petit de la Saussaye, 1857: synonym of Xenophora (Xenophora) senegalensis Fischer, 1873
* Xenophora caribaea Petit de la Saussaye, 1857 - Caribbean carriersnail: synonym of Onustus caribaeus (Petit de la Saussaye, 1857)
* Xenophora cavelieri Rochebrune, 1883: synonym of Xenophora (Xenophora) senegalensis Fischer, 1873
* Xenophora digitata Martens, 1878: synonym of Stellaria testigera digitata Martens, 1878
* Xenophora gigantea (Schepman, 1909): synonym of Stellaria gigantea (Schepman, 1909)
* Xenophora helvacea Philippi, 1851: synonym of Onustus indicus (Gmelin, 1791)
* Xenophora indica (Gmelin, 1791): synonym of Onustus indicus (Gmelin, 1791)
* Xenophora japonica Kuroda & Habe, 1971: synonym of Xenophora (Xenophora) japonica Kuroda & Habe, 1971
* Xenophora konoi Habe, 1953: synonym of Xenophora (Xenophora) mekranensis konoi Habe, 1953
* Xenophora laevigata Fischer von Waldheim, 1807: synonym of Xenophora (Xenophora) conchyliophora (Born, 1780)
* Xenophora lamberti Souverbie, 1871: synonym of Stellaria lamberti (Souverbie, 1871)
* Xenophora longleyi Bartsch, 1931 - shingled carriersnail: synonym of Onustus longleyi Bartsch, 1931
* Xenophora meandrina Fischer von Waldheim, 1807: synonym of Xenophora (Xenophora) conchyliophora (Born, 1780)
* Xenophora mediterranea Tiberi, 1863: synonym of Xenophora (Xenophora) crispa (König, 1825)
* Xenophora neozelanica Suter, 1908: synonym of Xenophora (Xenophora) neozelanica neozelanica Suter, 1908
* Xenophora regularis Habe & Okutani, 1983 : synonym of Xenophora (Xenophora) granulosa Ponder, 1983
* Xenophora tenuis Hirase, 1934: synonym of Xenophora (Xenophora) tenuis Fulton, 1983
* Xenophora torrida Kuroda & Ito, 1961 : synonym of Xenophora (Xenophora) cerea (Reeve, 1845)
* Xenophora tricostata Fischer von Waldheim, 1807: synonym of Xenophora (Xenophora) conchyliophora (Born, 1780)
* Xenophora tulearensis Stewart & Kosuge, 1993: synonym of Xenophora (Xenophora) corrugata (Reeve, 1842)
* Xenophora vulcanica Fischer von Waldheim, 1807: synonym of Xenophora (Xenophora) conchyliophora (Born, 1780)
* Xenophora wagneri Philippi, 1855: synonym of Onustus indicus (Gmelin, 1791)

## Extinct species

Extinct species within this genus include:
* †Xenophora carditigera Nielsen and DeVries 2002
* †Xenophora cummulans Brongniart 1823
* †Xenophora delecta Guppy 1876
* †Xenophora deshayesi Michelotti 1847
* †Xenophora eocenica Abbass 1967
* †Xenophora floridana Mansfield 1930
* †Xenophora infundibulum (Brocchi, 1814)
* †Xenophora palaeoafra Gliozzi and Malatesta 1983
* †Xenophora paulinae Nielsen and DeVries 2002
* †Xenophora rugata Abbass 1967
* †Xenophora tatei Harris 1897
* †Xenophora terpstrai Dey 1961
* †Xenophora textilina Dall 1892

## Fossil record

Fossils of Xenophora are found in marine strata from the Cretaceous to Quaternary (age range: from 89.3 to 0.012 million years ago.). Fossils are known all over the world.