Nassarius papillosus

Nassarius papillosus
	Shell of Nassarius papillosus
Scientific classification
Domain:	Eukaryota
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Mollusca
Class:	Gastropoda
Subclass:	Caenogastropoda
Order:	Neogastropoda
Family:	Nassariidae
Genus:	Nassarius
Species:	N. papillosus
Binomial name
	Nassarius papillosus; (Linnaeus, 1758)
Synonyms
	Alectrion papillosum (Linnaeus, 1758); Buccinum papillosum Linnaeus, 1758; Nassa (Alectryon) papillosa (Linnaeus, 1758); Nassa (Alectryon) papillosa var. seminuda Dautzenberg, 1929; Nassa papillosa (Linnaeus, 1758); Nassarius (Alectrion) papillosus (Linnaeus, 1758);

Nassarius papillosus, common name : the pimpled nassa, is a species of sea snail, a marine gastropod mollusc in the family Nassariidae, the nassa mud snails or dog whelks.^[1]

Description

The shell size varies between 30 mm and 52 mm

The thick shell is ovate and conical. It is composed of eight convex and subcarinated whorls. The whole surface ornamented with small tubercles formed like rounded papillae, eight transverse rows of which appear upon the body whorl, four upon the second, and three only upon those of the spire. They gradually diminish in size towards the summit, which is generally of a rose color. The white aperture is ovate, rounded, terminated at its upper part by an angle of the outer lip, and a thick ridge of the left lip, which form a canal. The emargination at the base is oblique. The outer lip is thick, furnished upon its edge with six or seven spinose teeth, and in the interior with numerous transverse striae, very fine, and slightly apparent. The left lip is smooth, and obliterated above. It forms a convex varix at the base, and terminates near this point by a straight and somewhat pointed projection. The general color is whitish or reddish, marked upon the convexity of the lowest whorl, with a large red or fawn-colored spot, the rest of the spire sometimes sprinkled with other smaller spots of the same color.^[2]

Distribution

This species occurs in the Indian Ocean off Aldabra, Chagos, Madagascar, the Mascarene Basin, Mauritius and Réunion, and also in the Pacific (New Caledonia, Marquesas Islands); off Australia (Northern Territory, Queensland, Western Australia).

References

^ ^a ^b Nassarius papillosus (Linnaeus, 1758). Retrieved through: World Register of Marine Species on 26 February 2011.
^ Kiener (1840). General species and iconography of recent shells : comprising the Massena Museum, the collection of Lamarck, the collection of the Museum of Natural History, and the recent discoveries of travellers; Boston :W.D. Ticknor,1837 (described as Buccinum papillosum)

Steyn, D.G & Lussi, M. (2005). Offshore Shells of Southern Africa: A pictorial guide to more than 750 Gastropods. Published by the authors. Pp. i–vi, 1–289. page(s): 133
Halcrow China Limited .(2007). Development of a Bathing Beach at Lung Mei, Tai Po. Environmental, Drainage and Traffic Impact Assessments - Investigation. EIA report submitted to Environmental Protection Department. The Hong Kong SAR Government.
iu, J.Y. [Ruiyu] (ed.). (2008). Checklist of marine biota of China seas. China Science Press. 1267 pp
Severns M. (2011) Shells of the Hawaiian Islands - The Sea Shells. Conchbooks, Hackenheim. 564 pp.
Marais J.P. & Kilburn R.N. (2010) Nassariidae. pp. 138–173, in: Marais A.P. & Seccombe A.D. (eds), Identification guide to the seashells of South Africa. Volume 1. Groenkloof: Centre for Molluscan Studies. 376 pp.
Severns, M. (2011). Shells of the Hawaiian Islands - The Sea Shells. Conchbooks, Hackenheim. 564 pp.

External links

[WoRMS-1] Nassarius papillosus (Linnaeus, 1758). Retrieved through: World Register of Marine Species on 26 February 2011.

[Kiener-2] Kiener (1840). General species and iconography of recent shells : comprising the Massena Museum, the collection of Lamarck, the collection of the Museum of Natural History, and the recent discoveries of travellers; Boston :W.D. Ticknor,1837 (described as Buccinum papillosum)

[1]

[2]