Astralium haematragum

Astralium haematragum, common name the Pacific star shell, is a species of sea snail, a marine gastropod mollusk in the family Turbinidae, the turban snails.[1]

Astralium haematragum
Apertural view of Astralium haematragum
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Mollusca
Class: Gastropoda
Subclass: Vetigastropoda
Order: Trochida
Superfamily: Trochoidea
Family: Turbinidae
Genus: Astralium
Species:
A. haematragum
Binomial name
Astralium haematragum
(Menke, 1829)
Synonyms
  • Trochus columellaris Philippi
  • Trochus gratus Philippi
  • Trochus haematragus Menke, 1829 (original combination)

Description

The size of the shell varies between 15 mm and 25 mm. The imperforate shell is pale ashen. It has an elevated-conic shape with an acute apex. The seven whorls are planulate above, with radiating oblique folds, which are produced into short spines at the periphery. The body whorl is carinated, with ten to twelve spines in a single series. The base of the shell is plano-concave, concentrically squamose-lirate. The aperture is transverse, channelled at the carina. The columella is arcuate, purple or blue margined, dentate at its base.[2]

Distribution

This marine species occurs in the Southwest Pacific and off Japan.

References
  1. Astralium haematragum (Menke, 1829). Retrieved through: World Register of Marine Species on 9 September 2012.
  2. G.W. Tryon (1888), Manual of Conchology X; Academy of Natural Sciences, Philadelphia
  • Williams, S.T. (2007). Origins and diversification of Indo-West Pacific marine fauna: evolutionary history and biogeography of turban shells (Gastropoda, Turbinidae). Biological Journal of the Linnean Society, 2007, 92, 573–592.
  • Alf A. & Kreipl K. (2011) The family Turbinidae. Subfamilies Turbininae Rafinesque, 1815 and Prisogasterinae Hickman & McLean, 1990. In: G.T. Poppe & K. Groh (eds), A Conchological Iconography. Hackenheim: Conchbooks. pp. 1–82, pls 104–245.
This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.