Strombus aurisdianae
Encyclopedia
Euprotomus aurisdianae, common name
the Diana conch, is a species
of small to medium sea snail
, a marine
gastropod mollusk in the family
Strombidae
, the true conch
s.
length of this species is up to 90 mm, commonly to 70 mm.
Euprotomus aurisdianae has a thick and solid shell with a near elliptical contour. It has a high pointed spire
and an irregular body whorl
, ornamented with large knobs and easily distinguishable and divergent ridges. The flaring outer lip has a characteristic posterior expansion, with an aspect similar to that of a spine, that extends itself posteriorly as far as half the length of the apex
. Liration is present near the anterior and posterior ends of the outer lip. The inner lip is smooth with a thin callus. The siphonal canal
is strongly bent, and the stromboid notch
is deep, easily distinguishable.
The shell color can vary from dull cream to pale grey, with irregular darker spots and lines. The ventral callus and inner lip are commonly glossy white. The aperture is rich orange or pink interiorly, and becomes paler towards the outer lip margin.
, from central East Africa
(including Aldabra
, Madagascar
, Tanzania
and the Red Sea
), to the north to Japan
and south to northern Queensland
, Australia
.564720
areas, such as coral sand, grassy sand flats and dead coral, to a maximum depth of around 10 m.
.
Common name
A common name of a taxon or organism is a name in general use within a community; it is often contrasted with the scientific name for the same organism...
the Diana conch, is a species
Species
In biology, a species is one of the basic units of biological classification and a taxonomic rank. A species is often defined as a group of organisms capable of interbreeding and producing fertile offspring. While in many cases this definition is adequate, more precise or differing measures are...
of small to medium sea snail
Snail
Snail is a common name applied to most of the members of the molluscan class Gastropoda that have coiled shells in the adult stage. When the word is used in its most general sense, it includes sea snails, land snails and freshwater snails. The word snail without any qualifier is however more often...
, a marine
Marine (ocean)
Marine is an umbrella term. As an adjective it is usually applicable to things relating to the sea or ocean, such as marine biology, marine ecology and marine geology...
gastropod mollusk in the family
Family (biology)
In biological classification, family is* a taxonomic rank. Other well-known ranks are life, domain, kingdom, phylum, class, order, genus, and species, with family fitting between order and genus. As for the other well-known ranks, there is the option of an immediately lower rank, indicated by the...
Strombidae
Strombidae
Strombidae, commonly known as the true conchs, is a taxonomic family of medium-sized to very large sea snails, marine gastropod mollusks in the superfamily Stromboidea....
, the true conch
Conch
A conch is a common name which is applied to a number of different species of medium-sized to large sea snails or their shells, generally those which are large and have a high spire and a siphonal canal....
s.
Shell description
The maximum shellGastropod shell
The gastropod shell is a shell which is part of the body of a gastropod or snail, one kind of mollusc. The gastropod shell is an external skeleton or exoskeleton, which serves not only for muscle attachment, but also for protection from predators and from mechanical damage...
length of this species is up to 90 mm, commonly to 70 mm.
Euprotomus aurisdianae has a thick and solid shell with a near elliptical contour. It has a high pointed spire
Spire (mollusc)
A spire is a descriptive term for part of the coiled shell of mollusks. The word is a convenient aid in describing shells, but it does not refer to a very precise part of shell anatomy: the spire consists of all of the whorls except for the body whorl...
and an irregular body whorl
Body whorl
Body whorl is part of the morphology of a coiled gastropod mollusk.- In gastropods :In gastropods, the body whorl, or last whorl, is the most recently-formed and largest whorl of a spiral or helical shell, terminating in the aperture...
, ornamented with large knobs and easily distinguishable and divergent ridges. The flaring outer lip has a characteristic posterior expansion, with an aspect similar to that of a spine, that extends itself posteriorly as far as half the length of the apex
Apex (mollusc)
Apex is an anatomical term for the tip of the mollusc shell of a gastropod, scaphopod, or cephalopod mollusc.-Gastropods:The word "apex" is most often used to mean the tip of the spire of the shell of a gastropod...
. Liration is present near the anterior and posterior ends of the outer lip. The inner lip is smooth with a thin callus. The siphonal canal
Siphonal canal
Some sea marine gastropods have a soft tubular anterior extension of the mantle called a siphon through which water is drawn into the mantle cavity and over the gill and which serves as a chemoreceptor to locate food. In many carnivorous snails, where the siphon is particularly long, the structure...
is strongly bent, and the stromboid notch
Strombidae
Strombidae, commonly known as the true conchs, is a taxonomic family of medium-sized to very large sea snails, marine gastropod mollusks in the superfamily Stromboidea....
is deep, easily distinguishable.
The shell color can vary from dull cream to pale grey, with irregular darker spots and lines. The ventral callus and inner lip are commonly glossy white. The aperture is rich orange or pink interiorly, and becomes paler towards the outer lip margin.
Distribution
This species is widely distributed in the Indo-West PacificIndo-West Pacific
The Indo-West Pacific, or IWP, is a zoogeographical region spanning the entire Indian Ocean including the Red Sea and the Pacific Ocean as far as the Caroline Islands but short of the Marshall Islands...
, from central East Africa
East Africa
East Africa or Eastern Africa is the easterly region of the African continent, variably defined by geography or geopolitics. In the UN scheme of geographic regions, 19 territories constitute Eastern Africa:...
(including Aldabra
Aldabra
Aldabra, the world's second largest coral atoll, is in the Aldabra Group of islands in the Indian Ocean that form part of the Seychelles. Uninhabited and extremely isolated, Aldabra is virtually untouched by humans, has distinctive island fauna including the Aldabra Giant Tortoise, and is...
, Madagascar
Madagascar
The Republic of Madagascar is an island country located in the Indian Ocean off the southeastern coast of Africa...
, Tanzania
Tanzania
The United Republic of Tanzania is a country in East Africa bordered by Kenya and Uganda to the north, Rwanda, Burundi, and the Democratic Republic of the Congo to the west, and Zambia, Malawi, and Mozambique to the south. The country's eastern borders lie on the Indian Ocean.Tanzania is a state...
and the Red Sea
Red Sea
The Red Sea is a seawater inlet of the Indian Ocean, lying between Africa and Asia. The connection to the ocean is in the south through the Bab el Mandeb strait and the Gulf of Aden. In the north, there is the Sinai Peninsula, the Gulf of Aqaba, and the Gulf of Suez...
), to the north to Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
and south to northern Queensland
Queensland
Queensland is a state of Australia, occupying the north-eastern section of the mainland continent. It is bordered by the Northern Territory, South Australia and New South Wales to the west, south-west and south respectively. To the east, Queensland is bordered by the Coral Sea and Pacific Ocean...
, Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
.564720
Habitat
Euprotomus aurisdianae is known to live in intertidal and shallow subtidal zones. It dwells in shallow water coral reefCoral reef
Coral reefs are underwater structures made from calcium carbonate secreted by corals. Coral reefs are colonies of tiny living animals found in marine waters that contain few nutrients. Most coral reefs are built from stony corals, which in turn consist of polyps that cluster in groups. The polyps...
areas, such as coral sand, grassy sand flats and dead coral, to a maximum depth of around 10 m.
Human uses
This sea snail is frequently collected for food wherever it is abundant. The shell of Euprotomus aurisdianae is commonly used in shellcraft, and is sold in local markets of the central and northern PhilippinesPhilippines
The Philippines , officially known as the Republic of the Philippines , is a country in Southeast Asia in the western Pacific Ocean. To its north across the Luzon Strait lies Taiwan. West across the South China Sea sits Vietnam...
.