Harpa major, common name large harp,[1] or major harp,[2] is a species of large predatory sea snail, a marine gastropod mollusks in the family Harpidae, the harp snails and their allies.[1]

Harpa major
A live individual of Harpa major
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Mollusca
Class: Gastropoda
Subclass: Caenogastropoda
Order: Neogastropoda
Family: Harpidae
Genus: Harpa
Species:
H. major
Binomial name
Harpa major
Röding, 1798
Synonyms[1]
  • Harpa conoidalis Lamarck, 1822
  • Harpa kawamurai Habe, 1973
  • Harpa ligata Menke, 1828
  • Harpa major major Röding, 1798 · accepted, alternate representation
  • Harpa ventricosa Lamarck, 1801

Description

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The size of the shell varies between 60 mm and 130 mm . The average adult reaches 3 1/2 inches and the shells have an ovate body with a heavily calloused spire. The columella, or the lower portion of the inside coil, has dark brown coloring.[2]

It has a long siphon, a large mouth and a very large foot in proportion to its shell, which it uses to hunt its prey. A voracious nocturnal predator of benthic crustaceans on sandy bottoms, it can prey on crabs as large as itself.

 
Shell of Harpa major (specimen at MNHN, Paris)

Distribution

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This marine species occurs off East Africa, Tanzania, Mozambique, the Mascarene Basin; off Hawaii

References

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  1. ^ a b c Rosenberg, G. (2015). Harpa major Röding, 1798. In: MolluscaBase (2015). Accessed through: World Register of Marine Species at http://www.marinespecies.org/aphia.php?p=taxdetails&id=208166 on 2016-02-28
  2. ^ a b The Encyclopedia of Shells 1998 Kenneth R. Wye
  • Walls, J.G. (1980). Conchs, tibias and harps. A survey of the molluscan families Strombidae and Harpidae. T.F.H. Publications Ltd, Hong Kong.
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