Merica melanostoma

Merica melanostoma
Apertural view of a shell of Merica melanostoma westralis
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Mollusca
Class: Gastropoda
(unranked): clade Caenogastropoda
clade Hypsogastropoda
clade Neogastropoda
Superfamily: Cancellarioidea
Family: Cancellariidae
Genus: Merica
Species: M. melanostoma
Binomial name
Merica melanostoma
(Sowerby, 1849)
Synonyms[1]

Cancellaria melanostoma Sowerby, 1849

Merica melanostoma is a species of sea snail, a marine gastropod mollusk in the family Cancellariidae, the nutmeg snails.[1]

Subspecies

  • Merica melanostoma melanostoma (Sowerby, G.B. II, 1849) [2]
  • Merica melanostoma westralis (Garrard, T.A., 1975) [3]

Description

The shell is whitish-orange and cream. Its size varies between 14mm and 38 mm, ending in a pointed apex. The shells are more globular than the rest of the genus, accented with rounded shoulders and deep sutures. The surface is covered with fine nodules.[4]

Distribution

This species is distributed in the Red Sea, Western Indian Ocean, the Gulf of Oman, West Australia and Northern Australia

References

  1. 1 2 Merica melanostoma (Sowerby, 1849).  Retrieved through: World Register of Marine Species on 30 October 2010.
  2. ↑ Gastropods.com : Merica melanostoma melanostoma; accessed : 30 October 2010
  3. ↑ Gastropods.com : Merica melanostoma westralis; accessed : 30 October 2010
  4. ↑ Richmond, M. (Ed.) (1997). A guide to the seashores of Eastern Africa and the Western Indian Ocean islands. Sida/Department for Research Cooperation, SAREC: Stockholm, Sweden. ISBN 91-630-4594-X. 448 pp


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