Xymene mortenseni caudatinus

Taxobox
name = "Xymene mortenseni caudatinus"


image_caption =
status =
regnum = Animalia
phylum = Mollusca
classis = Gastropoda
ordo = Sorbeoconcha
familia = Muricidae
genus = "Xymene"
species = "X. mortenseni"
subspecies = "X. mortenseni caudatinus"
trinomial = "Xymene mortenseni caudatinus"
trinomial_authority = (Finlay, 1930)
synonyms = "Zeatrophon caudatinus" Finlay, 1930

"Xymene mortenseni caudatinus" is a subspecies of predatory sea snail, a marine gastropod mollusc in the family Muricidae, the rock snails or murex snails.

Distribution

This murex subspecies is endemic to the east coast of New Zealand, and also the Chatham Islands.

Habitat

This snail is found at depths of between 18 and about 200 m.

hell description

The shell is usually larger than "Xymene mortenseni mortenseni", proportionately broader, with a less steeply descending shoulder slope. The surface is crowded with very fine, thin, corrugated axial lamellae.

Coloration is yellowish, sometimes with reddish tinged spiral cords.

Height is up to 19 mm, and width up to 9 mm.

References

* Powell A W B, "New Zealand Mollusca", William Collins Publishers Ltd, Auckland, New Zealand 1979 ISBN 0-00-216906-1