''Merica elegans'', common name the elegant nutmeg, is a
species
A species () is often defined as the largest group of organisms in which any two individuals of the appropriate sexes or mating types can produce fertile offspring, typically by sexual reproduction. It is the basic unit of Taxonomy (biology), ...
of
sea snail
Sea snails are slow-moving marine (ocean), marine gastropod Mollusca, molluscs, usually with visible external shells, such as whelk or abalone. They share the Taxonomic classification, taxonomic class Gastropoda with slugs, which are distinguishe ...
, a marine
gastropod
Gastropods (), commonly known as slugs and snails, belong to a large Taxonomy (biology), taxonomic class of invertebrates within the phylum Mollusca called Gastropoda ().
This class comprises snails and slugs from saltwater, freshwater, and fro ...
mollusk
Mollusca is a phylum of protostomic invertebrate animals, whose members are known as molluscs or mollusks (). Around 76,000 extant species of molluscs are recognized, making it the second-largest animal phylum after Arthropoda. The ...
in the
family
Family (from ) is a Social group, group of people related either by consanguinity (by recognized birth) or Affinity (law), affinity (by marriage or other relationship). It forms the basis for social order. Ideally, families offer predictabili ...
Cancellariidae
Cancellariidae, common name the nutmeg snails or nutmeg shells, are a family (biology), family of small to medium-large sea snails, marine (ocean), marine gastropod mollusks in the clade Neogastropoda. Some of the shells of the species in this ...
, the nutmeg snails.
Description
The size of the shell varies between 22 mm and 43 mm.
Distribution
This marine species occurs off the
Philippines
The Philippines, officially the Republic of the Philippines, is an Archipelagic state, archipelagic country in Southeast Asia. Located in the western Pacific Ocean, it consists of List of islands of the Philippines, 7,641 islands, with a tot ...
,
Indonesia
Indonesia, officially the Republic of Indonesia, is a country in Southeast Asia and Oceania, between the Indian Ocean, Indian and Pacific Ocean, Pacific oceans. Comprising over List of islands of Indonesia, 17,000 islands, including Sumatra, ...
and Western
Thailand
Thailand, officially the Kingdom of Thailand and historically known as Siam (the official name until 1939), is a country in Southeast Asia on the Mainland Southeast Asia, Indochinese Peninsula. With a population of almost 66 million, it spa ...
; also off Australia (
Queensland
Queensland ( , commonly abbreviated as Qld) is a States and territories of Australia, state in northeastern Australia, and is the second-largest and third-most populous state in Australia. It is bordered by the Northern Territory, South Austr ...
)
References
* Sowerby, G.B. (1st) & Sowerby, J. (ill.) 1822. ''The genera of Recent and Fossil shells''. London : Sowerby pts 2–13.
* Crosse, H. 1861. ''Etude sur le genre Cancellaire, suivie du catalogue des espèces vivantes et fossiles actuellement connues''. Journal de Conchyliologie 9: 220–256
* Löbbecke, T. 1881. ''Das genus Cancellaria. Systematisches Conchylien-Cabinet von Martini und Chemnitz'' (309): 1–16, pls 1–5
* Garrard, T.A. 1975. ''A revision of Australian Cancellariidae (Gastropoda: Mollusca).'' Records of the Australian Museum 30: 1–62
* Tantanasiriwong, R. 1978. ''An illustrated checklist of marine shelled gastropods from Phuket Island, adjacent mainland and offshore islands, Western Peninsula, Thailand.'' Phuket Marine Biological Center, Research Bulletin 21: 1–22, 259 figs
* Springsteen, F.J. & Leobrera, F.M. 1986. ''Shells of the Philippines''. Manila : Carfel Seashell Museum 377 pp., 100 pls.
* Verhecken, A. 1986. ''The recent Cancellariidae of Indonesia (Neogastropoda, Cancellariacea).'' Gloria Maris 25(2): 29–66
* Wilson, B. 1994. ''Australian Marine Shells. Prosobranch Gastropods.'' Kallaroo, WA : Odyssey Publishing Vol. 2 370 pp.
* Verhecken A. 1997. ''Mollusca Gastropoda: Arafura Sea Cancellariidae collected during the Karubar cruise.'' Mémoires du Muséum National d'Histoire Naturelle 172: 295-323-page(s): 307
External links
*
Cancellariidae
Gastropods described in 1822
{{cancellariidae-stub