Poirieria zelandica

Poirieria zelandica, common name the spiny murex, is a species of large predatory sea snail with an operculum. It is a marine gastropod mollusc in the family Muricidae, the rock snails or murex snails.[1]

Poirieria zelandica
Shell of Poirieria zelandica from New Zealand, on display at the Museo Civico di Storia Naturale di Milano
Scientific classification
Kingdom:
Animalia
Phylum:
Mollusca
Class:
Gastropoda
(unranked):
clade Caenogastropoda
clade Hypsogastropoda
clade Neogastropoda
Superfamily:
Muricoidea
Family:
Muricidae
Genus:
Poirieria
Species:
P. zelandica
Binomial name
Poirieria zelandica
(Quoy & Gaimard,1833)
Synonyms
  • Murex novaezeelandiae Gray, J.E. in Sowerby, G.B. II, 1834

Description

Shells of Poirieria zelandica can reach a size of 35–65 millimetres (1.4–2.6 in).[2] These shells are roughly fusiforms, with long, straight spines. The aperture is ovate and large. The outer lip is thin.[3]

Distribution

This species can be found in Tasmania and New Zealand.[2][4]

  • A shallow water, beachworn example of Poirieria zelandicus illustrating an anterior canal still visible from the previous growth stage
  • Shell

References
  1. WoRMS
  2. "Poirieria (Poirieria) zelandica". Gastropods.com. Retrieved 12 January 2019.
  3. George E. Radwin,Anthony D'Attilio Murex Shells of the World: An Illustrated Guide to the Muricidae
  4. New Zealand Mollusca
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