Conomurex luhuanus

Strawberry conch
A shell of the Strawberry conch, Conomurex luhuanus.
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Mollusca
Class:	Gastropoda
(unranked):	clade Caenogastropoda clade Hypsogastropoda clade Littorinimorpha
Superfamily:	Stromboidea
Family:	Strombidae
Genus:	Conomurex
Species:	C. luhuanus
Binomial name
Conomurex luhuanus (Linnaeus, 1758)
Synonyms
Strombus luhuanus Linnaeus, 1758

Conomurex luhuanus, common name the Strawberry conch, is a species of medium-sized sea snail, a marine gastropod mollusk in the family Strombidae, the true conchs. ^[1]

Shell description

Some shells of Conomurex luhuanus. The two smaller shells to the right have been cut open to reveal the coloration of the parietal wall

The shell of C. luhuanus ranges from a more common length of 5 cm, to a maximum length of 8 cm.^[2]

C. luhuanus is often mistaken for a Cone snail, mainly because of the conoidal outline of its shell, which is relatively unusual among the Strombidae. Its stromboid notch, though not as conspicuous as observed in many species that used to belong to Strombus (such as Lentigo lentiginosus), is deep and easily distinguished. The interior may be slightly lirate.

The external color of the shell may be either white with an orange, brown/tan pattern of blotches, or completely brown/white. The interior is usually colored strong orange, red or pink, and the inner lip border is black or chocolate brown.^[2]

Phylogeny

A cladogram based on sequences of nuclear histone H3 gene and mitochondrial cytochrome-c oxidase I (COI) gene showing phylogenetic relationships of (32 analyzed) species that used to belong in the genus Strombus and Lambis, including Conomurex luhuanus (synonym :Strombus luhuanus), was proposed by Latiolais et al (2006)^[3] All species in this cladogram are still given under their original names in Strombus and Lambis :

	Eastern Pacific and Atlantic  Strombus gallus Strombus gigas Strombus costatus Strombus raninus Strombus peruvianus Strombus galeus Strombus latus Strombus pugilis Strombus alatus Strombus gracilior Strobus granulatus Strombus bulla Strombus aurisdianae Strombus vomer Strombus gibberulus Strombus luhuanus  Lambis  Lambis chiragra Lambis truncata Lambis lambis Strombus taurus Strombus sinuatus
	Strombus maculatus Strombus mutabilis Strombus microurceus Strombus labiatus Strombus fragilis Strombus urceus Strombus dentatus Strombus canarium Strombus vittatus Strombus epidromis Strombus fusiformis Strombus haemostoma Strombus wilsoni

References

1. ^ Rosenberg, G. (2011). Conomurex luhuanus (Linnaeus, 1758). Accessed through: World Register of Marine Species at http://www.marinespecies.org/aphia.php?p=taxdetails&id=565370 on 2011-03-25
2. ^ ^{a b} Poutiers, J. M. (1998). Gastropods in: FAO Species Identification Guide for Fishery Purposes: The living marine resources of the Western Central Pacific Volume 1. Seaweeds, corals, bivalves and gastropods. Rome, FAO. page 475.
3. ^ Latiolais J. M., Taylor M. S., Roy K. & Hellberg M. E. (2006). "A molecular phylogenetic analysis of strombid gastropod morphological diversity". Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution 41: 436-444. doi:10.1016/j.ympev.2006.05.027. PDF.

• Walls, J.G. (1980). Conchs, tibias and harps. A survey of the molluscan families Strombidae and Harpidae. T.F.H. Publications Ltd, Hong Kong