Homalocantha anatomica (common name: "Pele's Murex" or "Anatomical Murex") is a species of sea snail, a marine gastropod mollusk belonging to the family Muricidae, the murex snails or rock snails.Biolib
Taxonomy Subspecies Homalocantha anatomica anatomica Perry, 1811 Subspecies Homalocantha anatomica elatensis Heiman & Mienis, 2009 : synonym of Homalocantha elatensis Heiman & Mienis, 2009 Subspecies Homalocantha anatomica pele H. A. Pilsbry, 1918 Variety Homalocantha anatomica var. zamboi Burch & Burch, 1960 : synonym of Homalocantha zamboi (Burch & Burch, 1960)
Distribution This species occurs in the Red Sea and throughout the Indo-Western Pacific, from Japan, Philippines and Fiji to the Hawaiian Islands.Galli C.: WMSDB - Worldwide Mollusc Species Data Base
Description Adult shell size of Homalocantha anatomica varies between 38 mm and 63 mm. These shells are solid, whitish in color, sometimes tinted with yellow or red and moderately light in weight, with five to six varices per whorl. Aperture is small and white or pink. Labial lip shows irregular denticles. Columella is smooth and siphonal canal is moderately long.California Malacozoological Society - Northern California Malacozoological Club The Veliger /1967–1968), Vol. 10, p. 128
Biology These sea snails feed primarily on boring mussels in reef rocks.
References
External links Natural History Museum Rotterdam Jousseaume, F. (1888). Description des mollusques recueillis par M. le Dr. Faurot dans la Mer Rouge et le Golfe d'Aden. Mémoires de la Société Zoologique de France. 1: 165-223
Bibliography Jousseaume, F., 1888. Description des mollusques recueillis par M. le Dr Faurot dans la Mer Rouge et le Golfe d'Aden. Mémoires de la Société Zoologique de France 1: 165-223 A.G. Hinton - Guide to Shells of Papua New Guinea Abbott and Dance (1982). "Compendium of Seashells" Drivas, J.; Jay, M. (1987). Coquillages de La Réunion et de l'Île Maurice. Collection Les Beautés de la Nature. Delachaux et Niestlé: Neuchâtel. . 159 pp. F. Springsteen and F. M. Leobrera - Shells of the Philippines George E. Radwin - Murex Shells of the World - An Illustrated Guide to the Muricidae Hirofumi Kubo and Taiji Kurozumi - Molluscs of Okinawa Severns, M. (2000). "Hawaiian Seashells" Liu, J.Y. [Ruiyu] (ed.). (2008). Checklist of marine biota of China seas. China Science Press. 1267 pp Houart R., Gori S. & Rosado J. (2017). The Muricidae (Gastropoda: Muricoidea) from Oman with the description of four new species. Novapex. 18(3): 41-69