Nassarius subspinosus
A spinous-shelled nassa mud snail from the Indo-Pacific.
Nassarius subspinosus, called the prickly dog whelk, is a sea snail in the Nassariidae family, the group that includes nassa mud snails and dog whelks. Its shell, which ranges from 10 mm to 20 mm in length, is ovate and conical. The spire has six slightly convex whorls that are somewhat flattened on top and decorated with longitudinal, spinous folds. The body whorl bears two or three rows of spaced-out, spinous tubercles. Fine, transverse striae cross the entire shell, becoming more visible near the base. The aperture is sub-rounded, and the outer lip has a margin on the outside and striations on the inside. The shell is grayish, with irregular transverse bands of slate or violet; the tubercles are sometimes white and often crossed by brown lines. This marine species lives off Central and East Indian Ocean locations, including Tanzania, East India, the Andaman Islands, the Philippines, Singapore, Indonesia, Indo-China, China, Oceania (Fiji, Solomon Islands), Papua New Guinea, and Australia (Western Australia).
Quick Facts
- Taxon
- Nassarius subspinosus
Facts from the source article.
Lore & Background
The shell of Nassarius subspinosus is ovate and conical, composed of six slightly convex whorls that are somewhat flattened at their upper part. These whorls are ornamented with longitudinal, spinous folds. The body whorl supports two or three rows of spinous, distant tubercles. The entire shell is crossed by fine transverse striae, which become more apparent toward the base. The aperture is sub-rounded, and the outer lip is margined externally and striated internally. The shell's color is grayish, with irregular transverse bands of slate or violet; the tubercles are sometimes white, and often crossed by brown lines.
Reader's Guide
Nassarius subspinosus is a well-documented species within the Nassariidae, first described by Dunker in 1847. Its distinctive spinous sculpture and coloration have made it a recognizable member of the nassa mud snails across a vast geographic range from East Africa to Oceania. The species has been included in major systematic works, including Cernohorsky's 1984 revision of the family and Wilson's 1994 guide to Australian marine shells. Its presence in the Philippines, Indonesia, and Australia underscores its adaptability to tropical marine environments. The prickly dog whelk contributes to the ecological diversity of shallow marine habitats, where it likely scavenges or preys on small invertebrates, as is typical for nassariids. Its shell morphology, with spinous folds and tubercles, may serve as a defense against predators. The species continues to be referenced in phylogenetic studies, such as the 2016 molecular analysis by Galindo et al., which revisited the systematics of the Nassariidae.
Did You Know?
- The shell length of Nassarius subspinosus ranges from 10 mm to 20 mm.
- Its shell is ornamented with longitudinal spinous folds and two or three rows of spinous tubercles on the body whorl.
- The species was first diagnosed by Dunker in 1847 in the journal Zeitschrift für Malakozoologie.
- It occurs from Tanzania and the Andaman Islands east to Fiji, the Solomon Islands, and Western Australia.
More in Marine Snails: Ceriths, Nassas and Conchs 1-24
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