Magilus Explained

Magilus is a genus of sea snails, marine gastropod mollusks in the family Muricidae, the murex snails or rock snails.

This genus was brought by Michel (1988) into the separate family Magilidae together with Latiaxis

Description

Animal: The mantle-margin is thickened, the siphon very short. The foot is large, fleshy and oval.

The operculum is ovate, the nucleus sublateral.

Shell: The shell, when young, is spiral and, thin. When adult,it is white, solid, tubular and spiral for three or four whorls. The body whorl is prolonged into an irregular, straight or flexuous tube, solid posteriorly, and with a siphonal keel on the left side.

This curious genus lives in coral, and the inordinate extension of the lips of the shell is to enable the animalto keep on a level with the surface of the coral as it continues to increase in size. As the shell grows, the tubebehind is filled up with solid calcareous matter.^[1]

Species

Species within the genus Magilus include:

• Magilus antiquus Montfort, 1810
• Magilus lankae Deraniyagala, 1968
• Magilus latens Bozzetti, 2011
• Magilus sowerbyi Massin, 1982

Species brought into synonymy :

• Magilus antiquatus Linnaeus: synonym of Magilus antiquus Montfort, 1810
• Magilus costatus G. B. Sowerby II, 1872: synonym of Magilus sowerbyi Massin, 1982 (invalid: junior homonym of Magilus costatus Chenu, 1843; M. sowerbyi is a replacement name)
• Magilus cumingii (H. Adams & A. Adams, 1864): synonym of Coralliophila cumingii (H. Adams & A. Adams, 1864)
• Magilus djedah Chenu, 1843: synonym of Leptoconchus djedah (Chenu, 1843) (original combination)
• Magilus ellipticus G. B. Sowerby I, 1823: synonym of Leptoconchus ellipticus (G. B. Sowerby I, 1823) (original combination)
• Magilus fimbriatus A. Adams, 1852: synonym of Coralliophila fimbriata (A. Adams, 1852)
• Magilus globulosus Sowerby, G.B. III, 1872 : synonym of Magilus antiquus Montfort, 1810
• Magilus japonicus Deraniyagala, 1968: synonym of Magilus antiquus japonicus Deraniyagala, 1968 (original rank)
• Magilus lamarckii (Deshayes, 1863) : synonym of Leptoconchus lamarckii Deshayes, 1863
• Magilus macrocephalus G. B. Sowerby III, 1919: synonym of Magilus microcephalus G. B. Sowerby II, 1872: synonym of Magilus antiquus Montfort, 1810 (described in synonymy)
• Magilus microcephalus Sowerby, G.B. III, 1872: synonym of Magilus antiquus
• Magilus peronii Lamarck, J.B.P.A. de, 1818: synonym of Magilus antiquus
• Magilus serratus Sowerby, G.B. III, 1872: synonym of Magilus antiquus
• Magilus solidiusculus G. B. Sowerby II, 1872: synonym of Leptoconchus solidiusculus (G. B. Sowerby II, 1872) (original combination)
• Magilus striatus (Rüppell, 1835): synonym of Leptoconchus striatus Rüppell, 1835
• Magilus tenuis Chenu, 1843: synonym of Leptoconchus tenuis (Chenu, 1843) (original combination)

References

• Vaught, K.C. (1989). A classification of the living Mollusca. American Malacologists: Melbourne, FL (USA). . XII, 195 pp

External links

• Montfort P. [Denys de]. (1808-1810). Conchyliologie systématique et classification méthodique des coquilles. Paris: Schoell. Vol. 1: pp. lxxxvii + 409 [1808]. Vol. 2: pp. 676 + 16
• Guettard J.E. (1770). Mémoires sur différentes parties des Sciences et Arts [qui referme] ... Deuxième Mémoire, qui renferme la concordance des auteurs qui ont parlé des tuyaux marins fossiles, auxquels on a comparé ceux qui se pêchent actuellement dans la mer. Classe des Tuyaux Marins. Troisième Mémoire. Sur les erreurs où l'on a été au sujet des tuyaux marins. Paris, Prault. 3(544): 71
• Neave, Sheffield Airey. (1939-1996). Nomenclator Zoologicus vol. 1-10 Online

Notes and References

1. https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/page/3782650 Adams, H. & Adams, A. (1853-1858). The genera of Recent Mollusca; arranged according to their organization. London, van Voorst. Vol. 1: xl + 484 pp.; vol. 2: 661 pp.; vol. 3: 138 pls