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 mekranensis (Newton, 1905) Xenophora mekranensis konoi Habe, 1953 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)