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Taxon profile

species

Homalocantha melanamathos J. F. Gmelin, 1791

kingdom Animalia - animals »  phylum Mollusca - mollusks »  class Gastropoda - gastropods »  order Neogastropoda »  family Muricidae - Muricids »  genus Homalocantha

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Homalocantha melanamathos

Author: Radwin & D'Attilio

Homalocantha melanamathos

Author: Ardovini, R. & Cossignani, T.

Homalocantha melanamathos

Author: Jan Delsing

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Description

The shell is moderately small for the genus (maximum length 45 mm) and broadly fusiform. The spire is low, consisting of four or five convex postnuclear whorls and a protoconch of undetermined nature. The suture is obscured by the succeeding whorl, and the region around the suture is excavated, though not as broadly or as deeply as in other species of the genus. The body whorl is large and fusoid. The aperture is ovate, with a very shallow, almost imperceptible anal sulcus. The outer apertural lip is barely erect and finely dentate, with lirae extending from its margin into the aperture. The columellar lip is entirely adherent and smooth, with a thin callus extending over the parietal region; at its anterior end are an oblique sulcus and a tubercle. The siphonal canal is moderately long, narrowly open at the right, and distally recurved.
The body whorl bears seven spinose varices. Other axial sculpture is lacking. Spiral sculpture consists of cords of primary, secondary, and tertiary strength, and of finely scabrous threads. Where the cords intersect the varices, short, sharp, laterally compressed, narrowly open spines are developed, the prominence of the spines dependent on the type of cord from which they originate. Between spines, on the ventral surface of the varix, many horizontal laminae form a fimbriate webbing of the entire varical fringe, this webbing starting at the suture. On the body whorl are six primary spines, five secondary spines, and four tertiary spines; on the canal are two primary spines and one secondary spine.
Shell color is white, with the spiral elements brown between the varices, becoming black on the varix. The aperture and the upper half of the siphonal canal are white; the lower half of the canal is black-brown.
Radwin, G.E. & D'Attilio, A., 1976. Murex Shells of the World. An Illustrated Guide to the Muricidae.

Distribution

Western Africa (Dahomey to Angola).
Radwin, G.E. & D'Attilio, A., 1976. Murex Shells of the World. An Illustrated Guide to the Muricidae.
Author: Jan Delsing

Links and literature

EN Galli C.: WMSDB - Wolrdwide Mollusc Species Data Base July 10, 2013 [http://www.bagniliggia.it/WMSD/WMSDhome....] [as Homalocantha melanamathos Gmelin, 1791]
Data retrieved on: 23 November 2013

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