Nassarius comptus

Lore & Background

Nassarius comptus belongs to the family Nassariidae, a group of marine gastropods often referred to as Nassa mud snails or dog whelks. The species has one recognized subspecies: Nassarius comptus polita, described by Marrat in 1880. The shell size of this snail ranges from 15 mm to 24 mm, placing it among the smaller members of its family.

This species is distributed across a wide geographic range, occurring in the Red Sea, the Indian Ocean off the Mascarene Basin and Mauritius, and the Pacific Ocean off Indonesia and Australia (Queensland). Its presence in both the Indian and Pacific Oceans suggests a broad tolerance for tropical marine environments.

The species was originally described by Adams in 1852 in a catalogue of Nassa species from the collection of Hugh Cuming. Subsequent taxonomic work by Marrat, Schepman, Kuroda, Habe, Cernohorsky, and others has contributed to the understanding of its classification and variation.

Reader's Guide

Nassarius comptus is a well-documented species within the Nassariidae family, with a history of study spanning over a century. The species was first cataloged by Adams in 1852, and later works by Marrat in 1880 established the subspecies Nassarius comptus polita. The Siboga Expedition, documented by Schepman in 1911, included this species in its comprehensive survey of prosobranch gastropods. Regional studies by Kuroda (1929) and Habe (1961) further contributed to knowledge of its distribution in Japanese waters, while Cernohorsky's 1984 systematic revision of the family Nassariidae provided a modern taxonomic framework. Field guides by Vine (1986), Drivas and Jay (1988), Michel (1988), and Wilson (1994) have documented its occurrence in the Red Sea, Réunion, Mauritius, and Australian waters. The species' presence across the Red Sea, Indian Ocean, and Pacific Ocean highlights its ecological adaptability and makes it a useful subject for biogeographic studies of tropical marine gastropods.

Did You Know?

• The shell size of Nassarius comptus varies between 15 mm and 24 mm.
• This species occurs in the Red Sea, Indian Ocean, and Pacific Ocean.
• It belongs to the family Nassariidae, known as Nassa mud snails or dog whelks.