''Pradoxa thomensis'' 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 ...

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 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 Social group, group of people related either by consanguinity (by recognized birth) or Affinity (law), affinity (by marriage or other relationship). The purpose of the family is to maintain the well-being of its ...

Muricidae, the murex snails or rock snails. The specific name ''thomensis'' refers to the island of São Tomé, where the species is found.

Distribution

''Pradoxa thomensis'' occurs on the islands of São Tomé and

Príncipe Príncipe is the smaller, northern major island of the country of São Tomé and Príncipe lying off the west coast of Africa in the Gulf of Guinea. It has an area of (including offshore islets) and a population of 7,324 at the 2012 Census;

References

* Fernandes F. & Rolán E. 1990. Nuevo género y nuevas especies de la familia Buccinidae Rafinesque, 1815 (Mollusca, Neogastropoda) en la isla de São Tomé. Bollettino Malacologico, 25: 9-12 Muricidae Molluscs of the Atlantic Ocean Endemic fauna of São Tomé and Príncipe Invertebrates of São Tomé and Príncipe Fauna of São Tomé Island Gastropods described in 1990 {{Muricidae-stub