Demoulia abbreviata
A marine snail of the Nassariidae family from South African waters.
Last updated
H. Zell · via Wikipedia: Demoulia abbreviata · CC BY-SA 3.0
Demoulia abbreviata, called the obtuse demoulia, is a marine snail in the Nassariidae family—the group known as Nassa mud snails or dog whelks. Its shell, which ranges from 20 to 36 mm in size, is oval and swollen, colored whitish or chestnut, sometimes with darker spots. The deep, channel-like suture has a slightly rounded outer edge bordered by a white band broken by fawn blotches.
The spire is stepped, made of six or seven nearly flat whorls, while the body whorl is very convex and larger than all the others combined. The shell surface has raised, equal ridges. The white opening is nearly round, narrow at the top and wider at the bottom.
The thin outer lip is finely notched along the edge and has prominent transverse ridges inside. The curved columella is covered by the inner lip, which is flattened, wrinkled above, and from the middle to the base forms a thick, projecting callus ending in a clear fold and two small drops. This species lives off the coast of South Africa, from Saldanha Bay to South Transkei, and is sometimes trawled at depths of 85 meters.
Scientific classification
- KingdomAnimalia
- PhylumMollusca
- ClassGastropoda
- SubclassCaenogastropoda
- OrderNeogastropoda
- FamilyNassariidae
- GenusDemoulia
- SpeciesDemoulia abbreviata
Named by (Gmelin, 1791)
Sources: Wikipedia taxobox: Demoulia abbreviata (CC BY-SA 4.0) · order, family and genus agree with WoRMS AphiaID 553036 (CC BY 4.0)
How big is it?
Largest length in the source, 0.04 m, next to a 1.8 m person.
Diagram: drawn by Codexery, schematic shapes to scale (not a likeness). Length: Wikipedia: Demoulia abbreviata
Where the demoulia abbreviata has been recorded
Each dot is a place where the species has been observed and reported (90 records, half-degree grid) — not a modelled range. 3 inland records left out (institution coordinates).
Map: drawn by Codexery. Data: GBIF occurrence search (records CC0 / CC BY) · Natural Earth basemap (public domain) · place coordinates: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0)
Quick Facts
- Shell size range
- 20 mm (0.787 in) to 36 mm / 1.42 in
- Family
- Nassariidae
- Common name
- obtuse demoulia
- Depth recorded
- 85 metres (trawled)
Facts from the source article.
More in Marine Snails: Ceriths, Nassas and Conchs
Sources
Compiled from Wikipedia and the sources listed below. Text from Wikipedia is available under CC BY-SA 4.0; this entry is adapted from it.
- Wikipedia: Demoulia abbreviata (CC BY-SA 4.0).
- Classification: the source article's taxobox; order, family and genus checked against WoRMS, the World Register of Marine Species (CC BY 4.0).
- Occurrence records: GBIF (CC0 / CC BY). Basemap: Natural Earth (public domain).
- Word definitions: the Codexery glossary, each quoted from its Wikipedia article.
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