Muricopsis octogonus

Taxobox
name = "Muricopsis octogonus"


image_caption =
regnum = Animalia
phylum = Mollusca
classis = Gastropoda
ordo = Neogastropoda
familia = Muricidae
genus = "Muricopsis"
species = "M. octogonus"
binomial = "Muricopsis octogonus"
binomial_authority = (Quoy and Gaimard, 1833)
synonyms = "Murex octogonus" Quoy and Gaimard, 1833

"Muricopsis octogonus", or the octagonal murex, is a species of medium-sized sea snail, a predatory marine gastropod mollusc in the Family Muricidae, the murex snails or rock snails.

Distribution

This subspecies is endemic to New Zealand. It is found along the east coast of the North Island south to East Cape.

Habitat

This muricid is found from low water level to depths of up to 70 m.

hell description

The shell is solid, and narrowly fusiform, sculptured with strong rounded axials, crossed by prominent closely spaced spiral cords. At points of sculptural intersection, the cords, to a varying degree, develop spinose processes. In littoral shells the spines are usually poorly developed, but in deep water examples they are often long, hollow and recurved or upcurved. When viewed from above the shell is octagon-shaped.

The shell coloration is light to dark brown.

The maximum shell height is 60 mm, and width 32 mm.

References

* Powell A W B, William Collins Publishers Ltd, Auckland 1979 ISBN 0-00-216906-1
* Glen Pownall, "New Zealand Shells and Shellfish", Seven Seas Publishing Pty Ltd, Wellington, New Zealand 1979 ISBN 85467 054 8