Nucella squamosa
Nucella squamosa | |
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Five views of a shell of Nucella squamosa (Lamarck, 1816) | |
Scientific classification ![]() | |
Domain: | Eukaryota |
Kingdom: | Animalia |
Phylum: | Mollusca |
Class: | Gastropoda |
Subclass: | Caenogastropoda |
Order: | Neogastropoda |
Family: | Muricidae |
Genus: | Nucella |
Species: | N. squamosa
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Binomial name | |
Nucella squamosa (Lamarck, 1816)
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Synonyms[1] | |
Purpura clathrata Blainville, 1832 |
Nucella squamosa, common name the scaly dogwhelk, is a species of sea snail, a marine gastropod mollusk in the family Muricidae, the murex snails or rock snails.[1]
Description
[edit]![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/c/cf/Commensal_hydroid7.jpg/200px-Commensal_hydroid7.jpg)
The scaly dogwhelk is a small brown whelk with many fine knobbly spiral ridges on its shell. It grows up to 5 cm in total length. The ridges of the snail's shell are not often visible because the whelk is usually overgrown by the high-spined commensal hydroid, Hydtractinia altispina, which looks prickly and is orange.[2]
Distribution
[edit]This marine snail is found off the southern African coast from central Namibia to Port St Johns, subtidally to 50m under water.[2]
Ecology
[edit]The eggs are laid in small groups of capsules which resemble stalked clubs. The commensal hydroid deters several of the snail's predators.[2]
References
[edit]![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/4/4a/Commons-logo.svg/30px-Commons-logo.svg.png)
- ^ a b Nucella squamosa (Lamarck, 1816). Retrieved through: World Register of Marine Species on 24 April 2010.
- ^ a b c Branch, G.M., Branch, M.L, Griffiths, C.L. and Beckley, L.E. 2010. Two Oceans: a guide to the marine life of southern Africa. ISBN 978-1-77007-772-0.