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
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 Merica melanostoma (Sowerby, 1849). Retrieved through: World Register of Marine Species on 30 October 2010.
- ↑ Gastropods.com : Merica melanostoma melanostoma; accessed : 30 October 2010
- ↑ Gastropods.com : Merica melanostoma westralis; accessed : 30 October 2010
- ↑ 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