Maxwellia angermeyerae
Encyclopedia
Maxwellia angermeyerae is a species
of sea snail
, a marine gastropod mollusk in the family
Muricidae
, the murex snails or rock snails.
shell varies between 14 mm and 25 mm. The shell surface is chalky white, crossed by horizontal purple to black streaks on the seven rounded axial ribs, that are twisted and swollen at the base of the body whorl. There are also eight or nine spiral riblets. The low spire is globose and consists of two and a half whorls
, sitting op top of four body whorls. As each subsequent whorls rises above the shoulder margin of the previous whorl, the sutures are not visible. The body whorl
is large and almost spindle-shaped. The ovate aperture
has a small anal canal that point slightly backwards. The outer lip is crenulate, but has a smooth inner surface. The columellar lip is callused. The siphonal canal
is moderately long and, typical for this genus, fused above, almost sealed below and pointing to the left at its base.
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 sea snail
Sea snail
Sea snail is a common name for those snails that normally live in saltwater, marine gastropod molluscs....
, a marine 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...
Muricidae
Muricidae
Muricidae, common name murex snails or rock snails, is a large and varied taxonomic family of small to large predatory sea snails. With approximately 1,600 living species the Muricidae represent almost 10% of the Neogastropoda. Additionally, 1,200 fossil species have been recognised...
, the murex snails or rock snails.
Description
The size of the subfusiformFusiform
Fusiform means having a spindle-like shape that is wide in the middle and tapers at both ends.* Aneurysms can be classified as saccular or fusiform...
shell varies between 14 mm and 25 mm. The shell surface is chalky white, crossed by horizontal purple to black streaks on the seven rounded axial ribs, that are twisted and swollen at the base of the body whorl. There are also eight or nine spiral riblets. The low spire is globose and consists of two and a half whorls
Whorl (mollusc)
A whorl is a single, complete 360° revolution or turn in the spiral growth of a mollusc shell. A spiral configuration of the shell is found in of numerous gastropods, but it is also found in shelled cephalopods including Nautilus, Spirula and the large extinct subclass of cephalopods known as the...
, sitting op top of four body whorls. As each subsequent whorls rises above the shoulder margin of the previous whorl, the sutures are not visible. The 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...
is large and almost spindle-shaped. The ovate aperture
Aperture (mollusc)
The aperture is an opening in certain kinds of mollusc shells: it is the main opening of the shell, where part of the body of the animal emerges for locomotion, feeding, etc....
has a small anal canal that point slightly backwards. The outer lip is crenulate, but has a smooth inner surface. The columellar lip is callused. 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 moderately long and, typical for this genus, fused above, almost sealed below and pointing to the left at its base.