Volegalea cochlidium, common name the spiral melongena, is a species of large sea snail, a marine gastropod mollusk in the family Melongenidae, the crown conches and their allies.[1]

Volegalea cochlidium
Shell of Volegalea cochlidium
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Mollusca
Class: Gastropoda
Subclass: Caenogastropoda
Order: Neogastropoda
Superfamily: Buccinoidea
Family: Melongenidae
Genus: Volegalea
Species:
V. cochlidium
Binomial name
Volegalea cochlidium
(Linnaeus, 1758)
Synonyms.[1]
  • Cantharus tribuloides Noodt, 1819
  • Hemifusus pugilinus (Born, 1778)
  • Murex cochlidium Linnaeus, 1758 (basionym)
  • Murex pugilinus Born, 1778
  • Murex vespertilio Gmelin, 1791
  • Pugilina cochlidium (Linnaeus, 1758)
  • Pugilina pugilina (Born, 1778)
  • Pyrula bucephala Lamarck, 1822
  • Pyrula cochlidium (Linnaeus, 1758) (previous combination)
  • Pyrula cochlidium var. coronata Kobelt, 1874
  • Pyrula fulva Deshayes, 1832
  • Semifusus cochlidium (Linnaeus, 1758)
  • Semifusus cochlidium diademata C. Bayer, 1952
  • Volegalea wardiana Iredale, 1938

Description edit

The size of the adult shell varies between 60 mm and 150 mm.

Distribution edit

This species occurs in the Eastern Indian Ocean and also off Southern India, in the Pacific Ocean around the Philippines, Vietnam and off Australia (Northern Territory, Queensland, Western Australia)

References edit

  1. ^ a b Bouchet, P. (2015). Volegalea cochlidium (Linnaeus, 1758). In: MolluscaBase (2015). Accessed through: World Register of Marine Species at http://www.marinespecies.org/aphia.php?p=taxdetails&id=754350 on 2015-12-02
  • Allan, J.K. 1950. Australian Shells: with related animals living in the sea, in freshwater and on the land. Melbourne : Georgian House xix, 470 pp., 45 pls, 112 text figs.
  • Wilson, B. 2002. A handbook to Australian seashells on seashores east to west and north to south. Sydney : Reed New Holland 185 pp.
  • Landau B. & Vermeij G.J. (2013) A new species of Pugilina (Gastropoda, Caenogastropoda, Melongeninae) from the Lower Miocene Cantaure Formation of Venezuela. Basteria 77(4-6): 89–95.

External links edit