Thericium vulgatum Common Cerithe, Common needle whelk, Cornet

Thericium vulgatum Bruguière, 1792

Thericium 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.

Thericium 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.
Thericium 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 Thericium vulgatum takes place via a planktonic larval stage.

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

Thericium 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)
Thericium vulgatum var. grandis Pallary, 1900 · unaccepted (synonym)
Thericium vulgatum var. hirta Bucquoy, Dautzenberg & Dollfus, 1884 · unaccepted (synonym)
Thericium vulgatum var. incrassata A. Koch & Pallary, 1900 · unaccepted (synonym)
Thericium vulgatum var. longissima Bucquoy, Dautzenberg & Dollfus, 1884 · unaccepted (synonym)
Thericium vulgatum var. mutica Bucquoy, Dautzenberg & Dollfus, 1884 · unaccepted (synonym)
Thericium vulgatum var. octogenaria Monterosato, 1917 · unaccepted (synonym)
Thericium vulgatum var. plicata R. A. Philippi, 1836 · unaccepted > junior subjective synonym
Thericium vulgatum var. punica Pallary, 1900 · unaccepted (synonym)
Thericium vulgatum var. rosea Dautzenberg, 1883 · unaccepted
Thericium vulgatum var. seminuda Bucquoy, Dautzenberg & Dollfus, 1884 · unaccepted (synonym)
Thericium vulgatum var. spinagracilis Pallary, 1912 · unaccepted (synonym)
Thericium vulgatum var. spinosa Bucquoy, Dautzenberg & Dollfus, 1884 · unaccepted (synonym)
Thericium vulgatum var. spinosa R. A. Philippi, 1836 · unaccepted > junior homonym (junior homonym of Cerithium...)
Thericium 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 Thericium vulgatum mazaravallensis Cecalupo, 2003
Subspecies Thericium vulgatum russoi T. Cossignani, 2021