Cerithium vulgatum Common Cerithe, Common needle whelk, Cornet

Cerithium vulgatum Bruguière, 1792

Cerithium vulgatum belongs to the family Cerithiidae, which are colloquially known as needle snails. The shells vary greatly in size and pattern, which is why identification is not easy.

Cerithium vulgatum grows up to 8.0 cm in size. It has a tower-shaped shell with numerous nodes. Its shell is often colonized by hermit crabs.
Cerithium vulgatum lives in the shallow water and intertidal zone on sandy bottoms. Indications that these snails are found on rocks are generally incorrect because it is not the snails that are found there but hermits with their shells.
The development of Cerithium vulgatum takes place via a planktonic larval stage.

Cerithium vulgatum is a sediment-feeding herbivore, feeding mainly on organic debris and detritus.

Cerithium vulgatum is known by a particularly large number of synonyms. WoRMS also lists 22 subspecies of this needle snail.

Synonymised names
Cerithium (Thericium) vulgatum Bruguière, 1792 · unaccepted (unaccepted subgenus)
Cerithium (Thericium) vulgatum var. major Dautzenberg, 1895 · unaccepted > junior subjective synonym
Cerithium aluchensis Brusina, 1870 · unaccepted (synonym)
Cerithium bourguignati Locard, 1886 · unaccepted (synonym)
Cerithium compositum Locard & Caziot, 1900 · unaccepted > junior subjective synonym (invalid; not Bronn, 1831)
Cerithium gracilis R. A. Philippi, 1836 · unaccepted
Cerithium inscriptum Monterosato, 1884 · unaccepted (synonym)
Cerithium nanum Pallary, 1912 · unaccepted (dubious synonym)
Cerithium pallaryi Pallary, 1912 · unaccepted (dubious synonym)
Cerithium payraudeauti Gaglini, 1992 · unaccepted (synonym)
Cerithium provinciale Locard, 1886 · unaccepted > junior homonym (invalid: junior homonym of...)
Cerithium rupestre Risso, 1826 · unaccepted
Cerithium servaini Locard, 1886 · unaccepted (synonym)
Cerithium spinosum R. A. Philippi, 1836 · unaccepted
Cerithium subvulgatum Locard, 1886 · unaccepted (synonym)
Cerithium vulgatum var. grandis Pallary, 1900 · unaccepted (synonym)
Cerithium vulgatum var. hirta Bucquoy, Dautzenberg & Dollfus, 1884 · unaccepted (synonym)
Cerithium vulgatum var. incrassata A. Koch & Pallary, 1900 · unaccepted (synonym)
Cerithium vulgatum var. longissima Bucquoy, Dautzenberg & Dollfus, 1884 · unaccepted (synonym)
Cerithium vulgatum var. mutica Bucquoy, Dautzenberg & Dollfus, 1884 · unaccepted (synonym)
Cerithium vulgatum var. octogenaria Monterosato, 1917 · unaccepted (synonym)
Cerithium vulgatum var. plicata R. A. Philippi, 1836 · unaccepted > junior subjective synonym
Cerithium vulgatum var. punica Pallary, 1900 · unaccepted (synonym)
Cerithium vulgatum var. rosea Dautzenberg, 1883 · unaccepted
Cerithium vulgatum var. seminuda Bucquoy, Dautzenberg & Dollfus, 1884 · unaccepted (synonym)
Cerithium vulgatum var. spinagracilis Pallary, 1912 · unaccepted (synonym)
Cerithium vulgatum var. spinosa Bucquoy, Dautzenberg & Dollfus, 1884 · unaccepted (synonym)
Cerithium vulgatum var. spinosa R. A. Philippi, 1836 · unaccepted > junior homonym (junior homonym of Cerithium...)
Cerithium vulgatum var. tuberculata R. A. Philippi, 1836 · unaccepted > junior subjective synonym
Hirtocerithium pugioniferum Monterosato, 1910 · unaccepted (dubious synonym)
Murex aluchensis Nardo, 1847 · unaccepted (synonym)
Murex alucoides Olivi, 1792 · unaccepted (synonym)
Thericium caputornatum F. Nordsieck, 1982 · unaccepted (synonym)
Thericium cazioti F. Nordsieck, 1974 · unaccepted (synonym)
Thericium kobelti F. Nordsieck, 1974 · unaccepted (synonym)
Thericium minutum multispinosum F. Nordsieck, 1974 · unaccepted (synonym)
Thericium nigronodosum F. Nordsieck, 1974 · unaccepted (synonym)
Thericium provinciale (Locard, 1886) · unaccepted
Thericium provinciale lusitanicum F. Nordsieck, 1974 · unaccepted (dubious synonym)
Thericium vulgatum (Bruguière, 1792) · unaccepted

Direct children (23)
Subspecies Cerithium vulgatum mazaravallensis Cecalupo, 2003
Subspecies Cerithium vulgatum russoi T. Cossignani, 2021