Haustellum

Haustellum
Shell of Haustellum bengalense (holotype at MNHN, Paris)
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Mollusca
Class: Gastropoda
Subclass: Caenogastropoda
Order: Neogastropoda
Family: Muricidae
Subfamily: Muricinae
Genus: Haustellum
Schumacher, 1817
Type species
Murex haustellum
Linnaeus, 1758
Synonyms[1]
  • Brontes Montfort, 1810
  • Brontesia Reichenbach, 1828
  • Haustellaria Swainson, 1833
  • Murex (Haustellum)

Haustellum is a genus of medium-sized sea snails, marine gastropod mollusks in the family Muricidae, the murex snails or rock snails.[1] Like many other genera within the Muricidae, the genus has been redefined several times.

Ponder & Vokes (1988) and Vokes (1990) included American and Indo-Pacific species in Haustellum, which differs from Murex sensu stricto by lacking a labral spine.

Petuch (1994) introduced Vokesimurex for the American long-canalled Haustellum sensu Vokes (1990), such as Murex messorius Sowerby, 1841.

Houart (1999) transferred 14 Indo-Pacific species and three subspecies of Haustellum in the genus Vokesimurex.

As currently defined, Haustellum is represented by eight to nine species. Members of Haustellum generally differ from those of Vokesimurex in having a globose and low-spired shape, a more rounded aperture, a smooth columella, a less deep anal notch, and no cord spine.

  1. ^ a b Haustellum Schumacher, 1817. Retrieved through: World Register of Marine Species on 18 April 2011.