Aristofusus excavatus

Aristofusus excavatus
Shell of Aristofusus excavatus from Mexico at the Museo Civico di Storia Naturale di Milano
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Mollusca
Class:	Gastropoda
Subclass:	Caenogastropoda
Order:	Neogastropoda
Family:	Fasciolariidae
Genus:	Aristofusus
Species:	A. excavatus
Binomial name
Aristofusus excavatus (Sowerby II, 1880)
Synonyms [1]
Fusinus eucosmiusDall, 1889 Fusinus excavatus(G. B. Sowerby II, 1880) (original combination) Fusus eucosmiusDall, 1889 Fusus excavatusG.B. Sowerby II, 1880

Aristofusus excavatus, common name apricot spindle, is a species of sea snail, a marine gastropod mollusk in the family Fasciolariidae, the spindle snails, the tulip snails and their allies. ^[1]

Description

Aristofusus excavatus has a shell reaching a size of 60 – 86 mm. The surface of this spindle-shaped shell is yellowish, with darker yellowish areas.

(Original description in Latin) The shell is slender and fusiform, with a tawny (fulvous) base color.

It is characterized by prominent spiral lirae (ridges) with finer interstriae (fine grooves between the ridges). The shell is also adorned with prominent, widely spaced axial ribs (costae). These ribs are tuberculate-lirate (ridged and bearing distinct nodules/tubercles).

The shell comprises 10 prominent whorls. These whorls are distinctly and deeply excavated or channeled just below the suture. ^[2]

Distribution

This species can be found in southeastern United States and from the Gulf of Mexico to northeastern Brazil. It lives on sandy and mud bottoms at depths from 30 to 160 m.

References

1. MolluscaBase eds. (2020). MolluscaBase. Aristofusus excavatus (G. B. Sowerby II, 1880). Accessed through: World Register of Marine Species at: https://www.marinespecies.org/aphia.php?p=taxdetails&id=1318056 on 2020-11-30
2. Sowerby, G. B., II. (1842-1887). Thesaurus Conchyliorum: Or monographs of genera of shells. London, privately published: vol. 1: p. 1-438, pl. 1-91 [cover date 1847]; vol. 2: p. 439 899, pl. 92-186 [cover date 1855]; vol. 3: p. 1-331, pl. 187-290 [cover date: 1866]; vol. 4 p. 1-110, pl. 292-423 [cover date 1880]; vol. 5: p. 1-305, pl. 424-517 [cover date 1887] - Details of dates in Petit R.E. 2009 Zootaxa 2189: 35-37 This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the public domain .

External links

• Dall W.H. 1889. Reports on the results of dredging, under the supervision of Alexander Agassiz, in the Gulf of Mexico (1877-78) and in the Caribbean Sea (1879-80), by the U.S. Coast Survey Steamer "Blake", Lieut.-Commander C.D. Sigsbee, U.S.N., and Commander J.R. Bartlett, U.S.N., commanding. XXIX. Report on the Mollusca. Part 2, Gastropoda and Scaphopoda. Bulletin of the Museum of Comparative Zoölogy at Harvard College, 18: 1-492, pls. 10-40
• "Fusinus (Fusinus) excavatus". Gastropods.com. Retrieved 16 January 2019.
• Encyclopedia of life
• John W Tunnell Jr, Jean Andrews, Noe C. Barrera Encyclopedia of Texas Seashells: Identification, Ecology, Distribution
• Rosenberg, G.; Moretzsohn, F.; García, E. F. (2009). Gastropoda (Mollusca) of the Gulf of Mexico, Pp. 579–699 in: Felder, D.L. and D.K. Camp (eds.), Gulf of Mexico–Origins, Waters, and Biota. Texas A&M Press, College Station, Texas