''Harpa davidis'', common name the Madras harp or David harp, is a

species In biology, a species is the basic unit of 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 the appropriate s ...

of sea snail, a marine gastropod

mollusk Mollusca is the second-largest phylum of invertebrate animals after the Arthropoda, the members of which are known as molluscs or mollusks (). Around 85,000 extant species of molluscs are recognized. The number of fossil species is e ...

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 ...

Harpidae, the harp snails.

Distribution

This species is widespread over Indo-Pacific, from eastern Africa to Hawaii and it is present in the South Eastern India and in the Andaman Sea. Harpidae - Harpa davidis

Habitat

The ''Madras harp'' lives on sublittoral and offshore sandy bottoms at depths of 5 to 250 m.

Description

Shells of ''Harpa davidis'' can reach a size of . These shells are usually smoothy and glossy, pale brown or reddish-brown, with strong axial ribs, a wide aperture and characteristic decorative markings. The ventral side of body whorl usually shows two-three large brown blotches, tp://ftp.fao.org/docrep/fao/009/w7191e/w7191e53.pdf FAO – Horse conchs, spindle shells/ref> but may also be completely brown.

Bibliography

* Hughes, R.N. and W.K. Emerson. 1987. Anatomical and taxonomic characteristics of * HarpaandMorum(Neogastropoda: Harpaidae). Veliger, 29(4):349–358. * Rehder, H.A. 1973. The family Harpidae of the world. Indo-Pac. Moll., 3(16):207–274. * Walls, J.G. 1977. Another viewpoint on the living harps. The Pariah, 4:1–4. * Walls, J.G. 1980. Conchs, tibias, and harps. T.F.H., Reigate, 191

References

External links

* davidis Gastropods described in 1798 {{Harpidae-stub