| Amoria | |
|---|---|
 | |
| An apertural view of the shell of Damon's volute, Amoria damonii | |
Scientific classification  | |
| Domain: | Eukaryota |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Mollusca |
| Class: | Gastropoda |
| Subclass: | Caenogastropoda |
| Order: | Neogastropoda |
| Family: | Volutidae |
| Subfamily: | Amoriinae |
| Genus: | Amoria Gray, 1855 |
| Type species | |
| Voluta turneri Gray in Griffith & Pidgeon, 1834 | |
| Species | |
See text | |
| Synonyms [1] | |
| |
Amoria is a taxonomic genus of medium-sized predatory marine gastropod in the family Volutidae. [1]
Amoria are found in onshore and offshore waters around the entire coast of Australia. Several species extend into offshore waters of southern Indonesia. The highest areas of diversity are in the intertidal and shallow subtidal waters of northern Western Australia followed by the subtidal waters around the Great Barrier Reef in Queensland.
Amoria have a small, smooth, more or less pointed conical protoconch, a solid very glossy, fusiform shell and an elongate aperture with 4 distinct, more or less developed columellar plicae. The sutures are slightly callous. The colour pattern of the genus Amoria is variable, the base colour is white, yellow or pink with varying degrees or brown axial lines forming a pattern over the base colour. Axial lines may be free or may reticulate to form a tented pattern. [2]
The largest species Amoria hunteri reaches over 200 mm in length. The smallest species is probably Amoria dampieria frequently around 20 mm.
Amoria are nocturnal and prey on other gastropods and on bivalves. They generally inhabit areas with well sorted coarse sand. Some Amoria species have been noted to bite people when they are handled. The bite is followed by a mild sting, but no long-term effects have been noted.
The first Amoria appear in the Eocene and Late Miocene from Victoria. Judging from anatomical features, Amoria are close to the genus Cymbiola from which they descended in the Tertiary. Cymbiola are related to Tethyan species of the Late Miocene of Indonesia, Java.
Amoria includes 20-30 species. The following species have been recognized:
Many subspecific names have been created in the genus Amoria to distinguish colour variations in the shells of the species.
Volutidae, common name volutes, are a taxonomic family of predatory sea snails that range in size from 9 mm to over 500 mm. They are marine gastropod mollusks. Most of the species have no operculum.
Livonia is a genus of medium-sized Indo-Pacific predatory sea snails, marine gastropod mollusks in the family Volutidae, the volutes.
Scaphella is a genus of large sea snails, marine gastropod mollusks in the family Volutidae, the volutes.
Cymbiola is a genus of large predatory sea snail, a marine gastropod mollusk in the family Volutidae, the volutes.
Nannamoria is a small taxonomic genus of small-sized sea snails, predatory marine gastropod molluscs in the subfamily Amoriinae of the family Volutidae, the volutes.
Amoria benthalis is a species of sea snail, a marine gastropod mollusk in the family Volutidae, the volutes.
Amoria canaliculata, common name the channeled volute, is a species of sea snail, a marine gastropod mollusc in the family Volutidae, the volutes.
Amoria damonii, common name Damon's volute, is a species of sea snail, a marine gastropod mollusk in the family Volutidae, the volutes. It forms a complex of attractive, large shells which has been studied extensively by Abbottsmith.
Amoria grayi, common name Gray's volute, is a species of sea snail, a marine gastropod mollusk in the family Volutidae, the volutes.
Amoria guttata is a species of sea snail, a marine gastropod mollusk in the family Volutidae, the volutes.
Amoria jamrachii is a species of sea snail, a marine gastropod mollusk in the family Volutidae, the volutes. It was named after Charles Jamrach, an animal dealer in London, by Dr. John Edward Gray, Keeper of Zoology at the British Museum.
Amoria maculata, common name Carol's volute, is a species of sea snail, a marine gastropod mollusk in the family Volutidae, the volutes.
Amoria molleri is a species of sea snail, a marine gastropod mollusk in the family Volutidae, the volutes.
Amoria necopinata is a species of sea snail, a marine gastropod mollusk in the family Volutidae, the volutes.
Amoria ryosukei is a species of sea snail, a marine gastropod mollusk in the family Volutidae, the volutes.
Amoria turneri, common name Turner's volute, is a species of sea snail, a marine gastropod mollusk in the family Volutidae, the volutes.
Amoria undulata, common name wavy volute, is a species of sea snail, a marine gastropod mollusk in the family Volutidae, the volutes.
Amoria weldensis is a species of sea snail, a marine gastropod mollusk in the family Volutidae, the volutes.
Amoria zebra, common name the zebra volute, is a species of sea snail, a marine gastropod mollusk in the family Volutidae, the volutes.
Amoria hunteri, common name Hunter's marbled volute, is a species of sea snail, a marine gastropod mollusk in the family Volutidae, the volutes.
