| Murex somalicus | |
|---|---|
Scientific classification  | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Mollusca |
| Class: | Gastropoda |
| Subclass: | Caenogastropoda |
| Order: | Neogastropoda |
| Family: | Muricidae |
| Genus: | Murex |
| Species: | M. somalicus |
| Binomial name | |
| Murex somalicus Parth, 1990 | |
Murex somalicus is a species of large predatory sea snail, a marine gastropod mollusk in the family Muricidae, the rock snails or murex snails. [1]
Original description: "Very large shell (up to 190 mm.) with 7 loose whorls and 3 weak varices per whorl. The spiral sculpture is made up of 4 distinct cords which, when they go over the varices, form 4 spiny processes pointing in the direction of the apex. The spine of the first adapical cord (towards the shoulder) is shorter, while the other 3 spines clearly increase in length as they get nearer the siphonal canal. This has 5 strong and long spines (the first is near the point of separation between the external and internal lips) which decrease in length towards the end of the canal: among the main spines there are smaller ones which make an angle of about 90 degrees with the stronger spines. Very weak axial sculpture on the last whorls, only on the first whorls radial riblets are visible. The aperture is elongated oval, white, the calliosity of the internal lip reaches the spines of the preceding whorl, the external lip ends in the superior zone in a posterior canal, or anal, very long and wide.
Between the third and the fourth spine is the labral tooth, typical of the genus Mures s.s. The colouring is darker in the area of the varices, almost rusty red, while at the centre of the whorls, among the varices it is lighter, tending towards cream.
The protoconch is paucispiral, with 2, 1/2 rounded whorls of a very variable diameter. Operculum unknown." [2]
Locus typicus: "Coast of Somalia,
unfortunately without any reliable precision." [3]
Muricidae is a large and varied taxonomic family of small to large predatory sea snails, marine gastropod mollusks, commonly known as murex snails or rock snails. With about 1,600 living species, the Muricidae represent almost 10% of the Neogastropoda. Additionally, 1,200 fossil species have been recognized. Numerous subfamilies are recognized, although experts disagree about the subfamily divisions and the definitions of the genera. Many muricids have unusual shells which are considered attractive by shell collectors and by interior designers.
The gastropod shell is part of the body of a gastropod or snail, a kind of mollusc. The shell is an exoskeleton, which protects from predators, mechanical damage, and dehydration, but also serves for muscle attachment and calcium storage. Some gastropods appear shell-less (slugs) but may have a remnant within the mantle, or in some cases the shell is reduced such that the body cannot be retracted within it (semi-slug). Some snails also possess an operculum that seals the opening of the shell, known as the aperture, which provides further protection. The study of mollusc shells is known as conchology. The biological study of gastropods, and other molluscs in general, is malacology. Shell morphology terms vary by species group.
Maxwellia santarosana, common name the "Santa Rosa murex" is a species of small predatory sea snail, a marine gastropod mollusk in the family Muricidae, the rock snails.
Murex trapa, common name the rare-spined murex, is a species of sea snail, a marine gastropod mollusc of the family Muricidae, the rock snails.
Colubraria springsteeni is a species of sea snail, a marine gastropod mollusc in the family Colubrariidae.
Prunum lipei is a species of sea snail, a marine gastropod mollusk in the family Marginellidae, the margin snails.
Boreotrophon alaskanus is a species of sea snail, a marine gastropod mollusk in the family Muricidae, the murex snails or rock snails.
Chicomurex rosadoi is a species of sea snail, a marine gastropod mollusk in the family Muricidae, the murex snails or rock snails.
Chicoreus elisae is a species of sea snail, a marine gastropod mollusk in the family Muricidae, the murex snails or rock snails.
Murexsul harasewychi is a species of sea snail, a marine gastropod mollusk in the family Muricidae, the murex snails or rock snails.
Murexsul sunderlandi is a species of sea snail, a marine gastropod mollusk in the family Muricidae, the murex snails or rock snails.
Muricopsis (Muricopsis) chiarae is a species of sea snail, a marine gastropod mollusk in the family Muricidae, the murex snails or rock snails.
Timbellus crauroptera is a species of sea snail, a marine gastropod mollusk in the family Muricidae, the murex snails or rock snails.
Purpurellus pinniger is a species of sea snail, a marine gastropod mollusk in the family Muricidae, the murex snails or rock snails.
Siphonochelus syringianus is a species of sea snail, a marine gastropod mollusk in the family Muricidae, the murex snails or rock snails.
Vokesimurex samui is a species of sea snail, a marine gastropod mollusk in the family Muricidae, the murex snails or rock snails.
Marginella caterinae is a species of sea snail, a marine gastropod mollusk in the family Marginellidae, the margin snails.
Marginella senegalensis is a species of sea snail, a marine gastropod mollusk in the family Marginellidae, the margin snails.
Bursa lucaensis is a species of sea snail, a marine gastropod mollusk in the family Bursidae, the frog shells.
Distorsio muehlhaeusseri is a species of medium-sized sea snail, a marine gastropod mollusk in the family Personidae, the Distortio snails.
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