species: Menathais tuberosa in Lizard Island area: all known taxa (Lizard Island Field Guide)
Menathais tuberosa


©Lexie Gersbeck and Gabi Howarth: Menathais tuberosa from reef flat off small beach on NE side of South Island, Lizard Island Group. Enlarge image to see incised spiral grooves between the whorls of nodules. Thanks to Dr Richard Willan (NT Museum) for the identification.

©Lexie Gersbeck and Gabi Howarth: Menathais tuberosa from reef flat off small beach on NE side of South Island, Lizard Island Group.

©Lexie Gersbeck and Gabi Howarth: Menathais tuberosa from reef flat off small beach on NE side of South Island, Lizard Island Group.
Kingdom Animalia
Phylum Mollusca
Class Gastropoda
Order Neogastropoda
Family Muricidae
Genus Menathais
Species Menathais tuberosa

Colours

              

Distinguishing features

Dr Richard Willan (NT Museum, 6 Aug 2019) notes that this species is characterised by a large shell (to 50 mm in length) which is globose in shape and it has a relatively low spire. It is the most globose of all the thaids. It is unique in having incised spiral grooves between the nodules.

Size

  • Up to 5 cm (length)

Synonyms

Comments

The 1980s specimen label in one of the photos shows an incorrect identification. According to Dr Richard Willan (NT Museum, 6 Aug 2019), Thais luteostoma is a very different, smaller, Japanese species.

by Anne Hoggett

Distribution


©Atlas of Living Australia: Australian distribution

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