Nassarius margaritifer

Lore & Background

This species was described in the mid-19th century by Hombron and Jacquinot, surgeons on the French expedition aboard the corvettes Astrolabe and Zélée under the command of Dumont-d'Urville. Their work appeared in the atlas of natural history zoology published between 1842 and 1854. The species is part of the genus Nassarius within the family Nassariidae, a group of mud snails and dog whelks. Its shell size ranges from 20 to 35 mm. The species has been recorded in the Indian Ocean off Kenya, Tanzania, and the Aldabra Atoll, as well as in the Pacific Ocean off the Philippines. Studies on macrofaunal composition on sandy beaches in Kenya have included this species in their surveys.

Reader's Guide

Nassarius margaritifer contributes to the understanding of nassariid systematics, as documented in Cernohorsky's 1984 revision of the family. Its presence in both the Indian and Pacific Oceans highlights a broad Indo-Pacific distribution, with records from East African coasts and the Philippines. The species was originally described from material collected during the Dumont-d'Urville expedition, a significant 19th-century voyage that yielded extensive zoological collections. Later ecological work, such as Ruwa's 1989 study of Kenyan sandy beaches, has included this snail in analyses of macrofaunal zonation. The species is also listed in Adams's 1852–1853 catalogue of Nassa species from the collection of Hugh Cuming. Its shell size range of 20 to 35 mm places it among the medium-sized members of its genus. The species remains a reference point for taxonomic and biogeographic studies of Nassariidae.

Did You Know?

• The shell size of Nassarius margaritifer varies between 20 mm and 35 mm.
• It also occurs in the Pacific Ocean off the Philippines.
• The species was described by Hombron and Jacquinot, surgeons on the Dumont-d'Urville expedition.