Article: Feeding habits of predatory gastropods in a Tertiary (Eocene) molluscan assemblage from the Paris Basin

The distinctive boreholes produced by two predatory gastroped superfamilies, the Muricacea and the Naticacea, can be recognized in their molluscan prey in a fossil assemblage from the Calcaire Grossier (Eocene, Lutetian) from Dameray in the Paris Basin. Possible predators are sk species of Naticacea and two of Muricacea. About 7000 mollusca representing 40 species were examined for boreholes of either type. The most common prey species of the Muricacea were the epifaunal bivalve Ostrea plicata, the shallow burrowing bivalve Venericardia serrulala and the epifaunal gastropod Omalaxis serrata. The Naticidae fed upon deeper burrowing bivalves as well as Venericardia serrulata but very rarely upon epifaunal bivalves. Their principal prey species was the burrowing gastropod Mesalia regularis as well as a varied selection of other burrowing gastropods with a marked tendency towards cannibalism within the superfamily. The position of the borehole upon the prey species can give information on the behaviour and mode of attack of the predator.