''Hexaplex erythrostomus'' 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 ...
Muricidae
Muricidae is a large and varied taxonomic family of small to large predatory sea snails, marine gastropod mollusks, commonly known as murex snails or rock snails. With over 1,700 living species, the Muricidae represent almost 10% of the Neog ...
, the murex snails or rock snails.
Description
The shell of this species is globose and strong, ornamented with blunt spines. The aperture is circular. The siphonal canal is narrow, short and curved with decorations on the outside. The color of the outer part of the shell is white or shades of gray. The interior of the shell and the aperture is deep pink and glossy.
[González V. Luz María. 2005: Guía ilustrada de los gastropodos marinos de la Bahía de Tenacatati, Jalisco, Mexico. Scientia Cucba. 7(1):1-84.]
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Distribution
The species occurs on the west coast of Mexico from Baja California to Peru.
[Reyes Mejia, Alejandra. 2004: Base ee Datos de la Colección Biológica de la Secretaría de Marina Armada de México (Moluscos: Gasteropodos Y Bivalvos). Universidad Autónoma Metropolitana Unidad Iztapalapa]
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Habitat
The species inhabits the intertidal and subtidal zones in sandy areas and sometimes on rocks
Gallery
File:Phyllonotus margaritensis.jpg, a shell of ''Hexaplex erythrostomus''
File:Hexaplex erythrostomus (2013-Veronidae) 000.jpg, a shell of ''Hexaplex erythrostomus''
File:Chicoreus erythrostomus shell 3.jpg, a shell of ''Hexaplex erythrostomus''
References
* Lesson, A., 1844. Description de quatre espèces nouvelles de Murex. Echo du Monde Savant 23: 536-539
* Merle D., Garrigues B. & Pointier J.-P. (2011) ''Fossil and Recent Muricidae of the world. Part Muricinae''. Hackenheim: Conchbooks. 648 pp.
External links
Biodiversity Heritage Library: Bibliography for "''Hexaplex erythrostomus''"ZipcodeZoo.com: ''Hexaplex erythrostomus''
Muricidae
Gastropods described in 1831
{{Muricidae-stub