''Alcithoe arabica'', common name Arabic volute, is a

species In biology, a species is the basic unit of Taxonomy (biology), classification and a taxonomic rank of an organism, as well as a unit of biodiversity. A species is often defined as the largest group of organisms in which any two individuals of ...

of very large sea snail, a

marine Marine is an adjective meaning of or pertaining to the sea or ocean. Marine or marines may refer to: Ocean * Maritime (disambiguation) * Marine art * Marine biology * Marine debris * Marine habitats * Marine life * Marine pollution Military * ...

gastropod mollusc in the

family Family (from la, familia) is a group of people related either by consanguinity (by recognized birth) or affinity (by marriage or other relationship). The purpose of the family is to maintain the well-being of its members and of society. Idea ...

Volutidae ''Volutidae'', common name volutes, are a taxonomic family of predatory sea snails that range in size from 9 mm to over 500 mm. They are marine gastropod mollusks. Most of the species have no operculum. Distribution This family of sea snai ...

, the volutes. Powell A. W. B., ''New Zealand Mollusca'', William Collins Publishers Ltd, Auckland, New Zealand 1979 WoRMS World Register of Marine Species: ''Alcithoe arabica'' (Gmelin, 1791)
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Distribution

This species is endemic to

New Zealand New Zealand ( mi, Aotearoa ) is an island country in the southwestern Pacific Ocean. It consists of two main landmasses—the North Island () and the South Island ()—and over 700 List of islands of New Zealand, smaller islands. It is the ...

Description

Shells of ''Alcithoe arabica'' can reach a height of and a width of 88 mm. These shells are usually large, solid, fusiform, with relatively weak tubercles on the shoulder of the body whorl. The shell

aperture In optics, an aperture is a hole or an opening through which light travels. More specifically, the aperture and focal length of an optical system determine the cone angle of a bundle of rays that come to a focus in the image plane. An ...

is high with a thickened, rounded outer

lip The lips are the visible body part at the mouth of many animals, including humans. Lips are soft, movable, and serve as the opening for food intake and in the articulation of sound and speech. Human lips are a tactile sensory organ, and can be ...

. The external surface is yellowish-white with chestnut zig-zac markings, forming five bands on the body whorl. These zig-zag markings were thought to resemble Arabic writing, giving rise to the name of the species. There is no operculum in ''A. arabica''. Individuals have a large grey to brown foot, flecked with purple and orange markings.Marine Life - Snail, Arabic Volute
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Ecology

These sea snails live in subtidal waters on soft sediments. ''Alcithoe arabica'' are able to move quite quickly on the soft substrate. They feed on bivalves that they smother using their large foot. The rounded, thin shelled eggs of this species are laid on stones or other shells.

Subspecies

*''Alcithoe arabica motutaraensis'' Powell, 1928 *''Alcithoe arabica swainsoni'' Marwick, 1926

Gallery

File:Alcithoe arabica (smooth form).JPG, A shell of ''Alcithoe arabica'' (smooth form) File:Alcithoe arabica (smooth form, underside view).JPG, Apertural view

References

External links

Museum of New Zealand Te Papa Tongarewa, Taxon: ''Alcithoe arabica'' (Gmelin, 1791) (Species)

Catalogue of Life: ''Alcithoe arabica'' (Gmelin, 1791)

New Zealand Mollusca: ''Alcithoe arabica'' (Gmelin, 1791)
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Massey University NZ Fauna Scanned 3D model of ''Alcithoe arabica''

{{Taxonbar, from=Q3139670 Volutidae Gastropods of New Zealand Gastropods described in 1791 Taxa named by Johann Friedrich Gmelin