Article: Predatory gastropods and their activities in the Blackdown Greensand (Albian) of England

The silicified Blackdown Greensand fauna of the Albian in south-west England affords an opportunity for a quantitative assessment of a rich and diverse Cretaceous molluscan fauna. Among its Meso-and Neogastropoda are species of naticids and muricids, as well as numerous Opisthobranchia, all of which today are active predators upon invertebrate prey. Drill holes (amongst the earliest yet recorded) into shelled prey provide evidence of their feeding activities. Analysis of the prey preference and drilling behaviour of two of these predator groups indicates that they were essentially similar to those of their living relatives, but predation rates are significantly lower than in either Cenozoic, or Recent faunas.