Nassarius pauperatus explained

Nassarius pauperatus, commonly known as the impoverished dog whelk, is a species of sea snail, a marine gastropod mollusk in the family Nassariidae, the nassa mud snails, or dog whelks.^[1]

Description

The length of the shell varies from 12 mm to 20 mm.

The ovate, conical shell is pointed at the summit. The pyramidal spire is formed of six or seven distinct, smooth, convex whorls. These are covered with very prominent, convex, longitudinal folds, intersected only at the base, and upon the two or three upper whorls, by a few pretty deep transverse striae. Upon these whorls, the striae become finer and more approximate. They rarely exist upon the whole surface. In like manner, the longitudinal folds do not appear upon the right portion of the body whorl. The color is a violaceous white. A dark red zone borders the suture, and a broader and browner band surrounds the middle of the body whorl.^[2]

Distribution

This marine species is endemic to Australia and occurs off of New South Wales, South Australia, Tasmania, Victoria, and Western Australia.

Bibliography

• Lamarck, J.B.P.A. de M. 1822. Histoire naturelle des Animaux sans Vertèbres. Paris : J.B. Lamarck Vol. 7 711 pp.
• Menke, C.T. 1843. Molluscorum Novae Hollandiae Specimen in Libraria Aulica Hahniana. Hannoverae : Libraria Aulica Hahniana pp. 1–46
  • Cernohorsky W. O. (1984). Systematics of the family Nassariidae (Mollusca: Gastropoda). Bulletin of the Auckland Institute and Museum 14: 1–356
• Wilson, B. 1994. Australian Marine Shells. Prosobranch Gastropods. Kallaroo, WA : Odyssey Publishing Vol. 2 370 pp.

External links

• Reeve, L.A. 1853. Monograph of the genus Nassa. pls 1–25 in Reeve, L.A. (ed). Conchologia Iconica. London : L. Reeve Vol. 8

Notes and References

1. Bouchet, P. (2015). Nassarius pauperatus (Lamarck, 1822). In: MolluscaBase (2015). Accessed through: World Register of Marine Species at http://marinespecies.org/aphia.php/aphia.php?p=taxdetails&id=572153 on 2016-05-15
2. https://archive.org/details/generalspeciesic00kien 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