Poirieria kopua

Taxobox
name = "Poirieria kopua"


image_caption =
status =
regnum = Animalia
phylum = Mollusca
classis = Gastropoda
ordo = Sorbeoconcha
familia = Muricidae
genus = "Poirieria"
species = "P. kopua"
binomial = "Poirieria kopua"
binomial_authority = Dell, 1956

"Poirieria kopua" is a species of small predatory sea snail with an operculum. It is a marine gastropod mollusc in the family Muricidae, the rock snails or murex snails.

Distribution

This murex species is endemic to to the north east of the North Island of New Zealand, including the offshore islands and the Chatham Rise.

Habitat

This snail is found from shallow water to depths of 145 m.

hell description

The shell is much smaller than "Poirieria zelandica", with stouter peripheral spines, and a complete absence of subsidiary spines.

The shell height is up to 19 mm, and the width is up to 15 mm (with spines) (8 mm without spines).

References

* Powell A W B, "New Zealand Mollusca", William Collins Publishers Ltd, Auckland, New Zealand 1979 ISBN 0-00-216906-1
* [http://www.gastropods.com/5/Shell_11795.html Photo]