my-server
← Wiki

Alcithoe arabica

Alcithoe arabica, common name Arabic volute, is a species of very large sea snail, a marine gastropod mollusc in the family Volutidae, the volutes.

Distribution

This species is endemic to New Zealand.

Description

Shells of Alcithoe arabica can reach a height of and a width of 88 mm. These shells are usually large, solid, fusiform, with relatively weak tubercles on the shoulder of the body whorl. The shell aperture is high with a thickened, rounded outer lip. The external surface is yellowish-white with chestnut zig-zag markings, forming five bands on the body whorl. These markings were thought to resemble Arabic writing, giving rise to the name of the species.

There is no operculum in A. arabica. Individuals have a large grey to brown foot, flecked with purple and orange markings.

Ecology

These sea snails live in subtidal waters on soft sediments. Alcithoe arabica are able to move quite quickly on the soft substrate. They feed on bivalves that they smother using their large foot. The rounded, thin shelled eggs of this species are laid on stones or other shells.

Subspecies

  • Alcithoe arabica jaculoides <small>A. W. B. Powell, 1924</small> : synonym of Alcithoe jaculoides <small>A. W. B. Powell, 1924</small> (superseded combination)

Synonyms

  • Alcithoe (Alcithoe) arabica <small>(Gmelin, 1791)</small> (superseded combination)
  • Alcithoe (Alcithoe) swainsoni <small>Marwick, 1926</small> (junior subjective synonym)
  • † Alcithoe acuta <small>Marwick, 1926</small> (junior subjective synonym)
  • † Alcithoe detrita <small>Marwick, 1926</small> (junior subjective synonym)
  • † Alcithoe lutea <small>Marwick, 1924</small> (junior secondary homonym and synonym)
  • Alcithoe motutarensis <small>A. W. B. Powell, 1928</small> (junior subjective synonym)
  • † Alcithoe nukumaruensis <small>(P. Marshall & Murdoch, 1920)</small> (junior subjective synonym)
  • Alcithoe swainsoni <small>Marwick, 1926</small>
  • Alcithoe motutaraensis <small>Powell A. W. B., 1928</small>
  • † Alcithoe transformis <small>Marwick, 1926</small> (junior subjective synonym)
  • † Fulgoraria (Alcithoe) arabica <small>(Gmelin, 1791)</small> (superseded combination)
  • Fulgoraraia (Alcithoe) depressa <small>Suter, 1908</small>
  • Fulgoraria arabica <small>(Gmelin, 1791)</small> (superseded combination)
  • † Fulgoraria turrita var. nukumaruensis <small>P. Marshall & Murdoch, 1920</small> (junior subjective synonym)
  • Fulguraria (Alcithoe) arabica <small>(Gmelin, 1791)</small> (superseded combination)
  • Fulguraria (Alcithoe) depressa <small>Suter, 1908</small> (junior subjective synonym)
  • † Fulguraria (Alcithoe) turrita var. nukumaruensis <small>P. Marshall & Murdoch, 1920</small> (junior subjective synonym)
  • Notovoluta rossiteri <small>Brazier, 1898</small>
  • Notovoluta rossiteri <small>Swainson, 1821</small>
  • Notovoluta rossiteri <small>Perry, 1810</small>
  • Voluta arabica <small>Gmelin, 1791</small> (superseded combination)
  • Voluta elongata <small>Swainson, 1821</small> (junior subjective synonym)
  • Voluta pacifica <small>Perry, 1810</small> (junior subjective synonym)
  • Voluta rossiteri <small>Brazier, 1898</small> (junior subjective synonym)

Gallery

References

Further reading

  • Powell A W B, New Zealand Mollusca, William Collins Publishers Ltd, Auckland, New Zealand 1979
  • Bail, P., Limpus, A. 2005: A Conchological Iconography 11, The Recent Volutes of New Zealand, with a revision of the genus Alcithoe H. & A. Adams, 1853, ConchBooks, Hackenheim, Germany.
  • Gordon, D. NZIB: New Zealand Inventory of Biodiversity.

External links