Lepsiella scobina scobina

Taxobox
name = "Lepsiella scobina scobina"


regnum = Animalia
phylum = Mollusca
classis = Gastropoda
subclassis = Orthogastropoda
infraclassis = Apogastropoda
superordo = Caenogastropoda
ordo = Sorbeoconcha
infraordo = Neogastropoda
superfamilia = Muricoidea
familia = Muricidae
subfamilia = Ocenebrinae
genus = "Lepsiella"
species = "L. scobina"
subspecies = "L. scobina scobina"
trinomial = "Lepsiella scobina scobina"
trinomial_authority = (Quoy & Gaimard, 1833)

"Lepsiella scobina scobina", or the oyster borer, is a subspecies of small predatory sea snail, a marine gastropod mollusc in the family Muricidae, the murex snails or rock snails.

Adult shells look somewhat like the northern Atlantic muricid species "Nucella lapillus".

Distribution

This subspecies is endemic to New Zealand.

Habitat

The oyster borer is very common intertidally in rocky areas.

Feeding

The oyster borer feeds on barnacles, oysters, and small mussels. Barnacles are opened by the large foot, then the proboscis is inserted to deliver digestive enzymes. Molluscs are drilled chemically and mechanically by the radula.

hell description

The shell is small and very solid, prominently shouldered. It has a few bold spiral ridges, one on the spire-whorls, and three of primary strength on the body whorl. The whole surface is crowded with sharp crenulated lamellae. At regular intervals, stronger lamellae form into subspinose tubercles on the primary spirals, nine or ten on the body whorl. The aperture is rather small, the outer-lip thin edged and crenulated, but not lirate within.

The external shell coloration is pale grayish or buff, with a speckled spiral pattern in dark brown. The interior of the aperture and parietal callus is purplish-brown.

The maximum shell height is 34 mm, and the maximum width is 20 mm.

References

* Miller M & Batt G, "Reef and Beach Life of New Zealand", William Collins (New Zealand) Ltd, Auckland, New Zealand 1973
* Powell A. W. B., "New Zealand Mollusca", William Collins Publishers Ltd, Auckland, New Zealand 1979 ISBN 0-00-216906-1
* Beu, A. G. 1990. Molluscan generic diversity of New Zealand Neogene stages: extinction and biostratigraphic events. - Palaeogeography, Palaeoclimatology, Palaeoecology 77: 279-288.
* Tan, K. S. 2003. Phylogenetic analysis and taxonomy of some southern Australian and New Zealand Muricidae (Mollusca: Neogastropoda). - Journal of Natural History 37: 911–1028.