Cominella maculosa

Cominella maculosa
Two shells of Cominella maculosa (museum specimens at Naturalis Biodiversity Center)
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Mollusca
Class: Gastropoda
(unranked): clade Caenogastropoda
clade Hypsogastropoda
clade Neogastropoda
Superfamily: Muricoidea
Family: Buccinidae
Subfamily: Buccininae
Tribe: Cominellini
Genus: Cominella
Species: C. maculosa
Binomial name
Cominella maculosa
(Martyn, 1784)
Synonyms
  • Buccinum maculosum Martyn, 1784
  • Buccinum testudineum Bruguière, 1789 (original combination)
  • Cominella (Cominella) maculosa'' (Martyn, 1784) · accepted, alternate representation
  • Cominella testudinea (Bruguière, 1789)

Cominella maculosa, common name the spotted whelk, is a species of predatory sea snail, a marine gastropod mollusc in the family Buccinidae, the true whelks.

Description

The length of the shell varies between 30 mm and 45 mm.

The ovate, conical shell has a bluish ash color, traversed by distant lines, articulated and generally formed by oblong black points. The spots upon the upper whorls are larger, flamed, more or less numerous. The spire is composed of seven whorls. They are slightly convex, and united by a pretty fine and regular linear suture. The aperture is oblong ovate, slightly longitudinal, smooth and of a chamois-yellow color. The outer lip is thin and sharp.[1]

Distribution

This marine species is endemic to New Zealand and is found off Chatham Island.

External links

References

  1. ↑ 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 maculosum)
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