''Maxwellia angermeyerae'' is a species of

sea snail Sea snail is a common name for slow-moving marine gastropod molluscs, usually with visible external shells, such as whelk or abalone. They share the taxonomic class Gastropoda with slugs, which are distinguished from snails primarily by the ...

, a marine

gastropod The gastropods (), commonly known as snails and slugs, belong to a large taxonomic class of invertebrates within the phylum Mollusca called Gastropoda (). This class comprises snails and slugs from saltwater, from freshwater, and from land. T ...

mollusk in the family Muricidae, the murex snails or rock snails.

Description

The size of the sub

fusiform Fusiform means having a spindle-like shape that is wide in the middle and tapers at both ends. It is similar to the lemon-shape, but often implies a focal broadening of a structure that continues from one or both ends, such as an aneurysm on a b ...

shell varies between 14 mm and 25 mm. The shell surface is chalky white, crossed by horizontal purple to black streaks on the seven rounded axial ribs, that are twisted and swollen at the base of the body whorl. There are also eight or nine spiral riblets. The low spire is globose and consists of two and a half

whorls A whorl ( or ) is an individual circle, oval, volution or equivalent in a whorled pattern, which consists of a spiral or multiple concentric objects (including circles, ovals and arcs). Whorls in nature File:Photograph and axial plane floral d ...

, sitting op top of four body whorls. As each subsequent whorls rises above the shoulder margin of the previous whorl, the sutures are not visible. The

body whorl The body whorl is part of the morphology of the shell in those gastropod mollusks that possess a coiled shell. The term is also sometimes used in a similar way to describe the shell of a cephalopod mollusk. In gastropods In gastropods, the b ...

is large and almost spindle-shaped. The ovate aperture has a small anal canal that point slightly backwards. The outer lip is crenulate, but has a smooth inner surface. The columellar lip is callused. The

siphonal canal The siphonal canal is an anatomical feature of the shells of certain groups of sea snails within the clade Neogastropoda. Some sea marine gastropods have a soft tubular anterior extension of the mantle called a siphon through which water is ...

is moderately long and, typical for this genus, fused above, almost sealed below and pointing to the left at its base. George E. Radwin,Anthony D'Attilio, ''Murex shells of the world: an illustrated guide to the Muricidae'', p. 154
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Description

Distribution

References

External links