Turbo argyrostomus
Turbo argyrostomus, common name the silver-mouthed turban, is a species of sea snail, marine gastropod mollusk in the family Turbinidae.[1]
Subspecies
Four subspecies have been recognized :[1]
- Turbo argyrostomus argyrostomus Linnaeus, 1758 (synonyms : Turbo argentata Röding, 1798 ; Turbo argenteus Anton, 1839 ; Turbo canaliculatus Gmelin, 1791 ; Turbo ferrugineus Anton, 1839 ; Turbo permundus Iredale, 1929 ; Turbo princeps Philippi, 1846 ; Turbo psittacinus Philippi, 1846 ; Turbo semicostatus Pease, 1861) : this subspecies has been placed by same authors in the subgenus Turbo (Marmarostoma)
- Turbo argyrostomus argyrostomus f. carduus P. Fischer, 1873
- Turbo argyrostomus lajonkairii (Deshayes, 1839) : this subspecies has been placed by same authors in the subgenus Turbo (Marmarostoma) : synonym of Turbo lajonkairii (Deshayes, 1839)
- Turbo argyrostomus perspeciosus (Iredale, 1929) : (synonym : Turbo speciosus Reeve, 1848) : this subspecies has been placed by same authors in the subgenus Turbo (Marmarostoma)
- Turbo argyrostomus sandwicensis (Pease, 1861) : this subspecies has been placed by same authors in the subgenus Turbo (Marmarostoma) : synonym of Turbo sandwicensis (Pease, 1861)
Description
This species grows to a length of up to 8 cm. The main body whorl has 20 distinct spiral ribs, mostly flat-topped, some with fluted scales. Colour of the shell is cream with patches of green and brown, and broken lines of black. The apex is almost always pink. The aperture is pearly white. The outer surface of the operculum is granular, slightly greenish-brown. [1]
Distribution
This species and its subspecies are distributed in the Red Sea and in the Indian Ocean along Aldabra, Chagos, Madagascar, the Mascarene Basin, Mozambique and Tanzania.
References
- Drivas, J. & M. Jay (1988). Coquillages de La Réunion et de l'île Maurice
- Alf A. & Kreipl K. (2003). A Conchological Iconography: The Family Turbinidae, Subfamily Turbininae, Genus Turbo. Conchbooks, Hackenheim Germany.
- 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.