| Vasum | |
|---|---|
| A live but retracted individual of Vasum rhinoceras in a tide pool in Mombasa, Kenya, Africa | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Mollusca |
| Class: | Gastropoda |
| (unranked): | clade Caenogastropoda clade Hypsogastropoda clade Neogastropoda |
| Superfamily: | Muricoidea |
| Family: | Turbinellidae |
| Subfamily: | Vasinae |
| Genus: | Vasum |
| Type species | |
| Murex ceramicus Linnaeus, 1758 |
|
| Species | |
|
See text |
|
| Synonyms[1] | |
|
Cynodonta Schumacher, 1817 |
|
Vasum, common name the vase snails or vase shells, is a genus of mostly rather large predatory sea snails, marine gastropod mollusks within the family Turbinellidae. [1]
Shells of species in this genus are usually somewhat large, and are usually very thick and heavy. They are often vase-shaped, in the sense that the shell of most of the species is more or less widely conical. The shells have a thick periostracum, a low spires, and 2, 3 or 4 plaits on the columella.
Species within the genus Vasum include: