| Ericusa | |
|---|---|
| Ericusa sericata | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Mollusca |
| Class: | Gastropoda |
| (unranked): | clade Caenogastropoda clade Hypsogastropoda clade Neogastropoda |
| Superfamily: | Muricoidea |
| Family: | Volutidae |
| Genus: | Ericusa Adams, H.G. & A. Adams, 1858 |
| Species | |
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See text |
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Ericusa is a small taxonomic genus of medium-sized predatory marine gastropod molluscs in the family Volutidae, the volutes.[1][2].
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Ericusa are endemic to Australia. They are found in temperate waters from southern Queensland to southern Western Australia.
The shells of Ericusa have a small rounded protoconch, are biconical with a rounded shoulder and have an elongate aperture with 4 distinct columellar plicae and a thickened outer lip. The whorls are regular, smooth and convex. The protoconch is globose and deviates 45° from the axis of the shell. The colour pattern of Ericusa is pink or yellow brown overlaid with a varied brown pattern.
The largest species with shells exceeding 200 mm in length are Ericusa fulgetrum and Ericusa sowerbyi.
Ericusa are nocturnal and predate on invertebrates. They have a large foot and siphon and they lay relatively large solitary eggs[3].
Several infraspecific taxa of Ericusa fulgetra have been named, on the basis of colour patterns of the shell.