Nassa serta, commonly known as the sertum rock shell, is a species of sea snail in the family Muricidae.MolluscaBase eds. (2025). Nassa serta (Bruguière, 1789). In: MolluscaBase. World Register of Marine Species. Retrieved 1 April 2025, from https://www.marinespecies.org/aphia.php?p=taxdetails&id=215680 It was originally described by Bruguière in 1789 and has undergone several taxonomic revisions.Houart, R. (1996). The genus Nassa Röding 1798 in the Indo-West Pacific (Gastropoda: Muricidae: Rapaninae). Archiv für Molluskenkunde, 126(1–2), 51–63.
Description
The shell of Nassa serta varies in size from 38 mm to 70 mm.SeaLifeBase. (2025). Nassa serta (Bruguière, 1789). SeaLifeBase. Retrieved 2 April 2025, from https://www.sealifebase.se/summary/Nassa-serta.html It is robust and elongated, with pronounced spiral ridges and axial ribs that give it a textured appearance. The coloration typically ranges from light to dark brown, often with contrasting bands or spots.Poutiers, J. M. (1998). Gastropods. In: Carpenter, K. E. & Niem, V. H. (Eds.), FAO Species Identification Guide for Fishery Purposes. The Living Marine Resources of the Western Central Pacific, Vol. 1. FAO, Rome. pp. 363–648. Distribution This species occurs widely across the Indo-Pacific region. It is recorded in the Red Sea, off the coasts of Tanzania, Madagascar and Mauritius, and the Chagos Archipelago, and as far east as Hawaii and Eastern Australia. Records from the Pitcairn Islands and French Polynesia confirm its range extends into the remote Pacific.Paulay, G. (1989). Marine invertebrates of the Pitcairn Islands: species composition and biogeography of corals, molluscs, and echinoderms. Atoll Research Bulletin, 326, 1–28.Tröndlé, J., & Boutet, M. (2009). Inventory of marine molluscs of French Polynesia. Atoll Research Bulletin, 570, 1–90.
Habitat and Ecology Nassa serta inhabits shallow subtidal zones, typically at depths of 3 to 12 meters. It is commonly found under corals, slabs, and stones in reef-associated environments. Like other muricids, it is a carnivorous or scavenging snail, often feeding on sessile invertebrates or carrion.
Reproduction This species is a non-broadcast spawner, meaning it does not release eggs freely into the water column. Fertilization is internal, and eggs are laid in capsules attached to hard surfaces. Its development bypasses the trochophore stage, instead producing veliger larvae or juveniles directly.Ruppert, E. E., Fox, R. S., & Barnes, R. D. (2004). Invertebrate Zoology: A Functional Evolutionary Approach (7th ed.). Brooks/Cole (Thomson), 990 pp.
References
Dautzenberg, Ph. (1929). Mollusques testacés marins de Madagascar. Faune des Colonies Francaises, Tome III Houart R. (1996) The genus Nassa Röding 1798 in the Indo-West Pacific (Gastropoda: Prosobranchia: Muricidae: Rapaninae). Archiv für Molluskenkunde 126(1–2):51–63
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