Babelomurex cariniferus

Babelomurex cariniferus, common name Babel's latiaxis, is a species of sea snail, a marine gastropod mollusk in the family Muricidae, the murex snails or rock snails.[2][3]

Babelomurex cariniferus
Apertural view of Babelomurex cariniferus

Near Threatened  (IUCN 2.3)[1]
Scientific classification
Kingdom:
Animalia
Phylum:
Mollusca
Class:
Gastropoda
(unranked):
clade Caenogastropoda
clade Hypsogastropoda
clade Neogastropoda
Superfamily:
Muricoidea
Family:
Muricidae
Subfamily:
Coralliophilinae
Genus:
Babelomurex
Species:
B. cariniferus
Binomial name
Babelomurex cariniferus
(Sowerby I, 1834)
Synonyms[2]
  • Babelomurex (Babelomurex) babelis Réquien, E., 1848
  • Babelomurex (Babelomurex) bozzetti Kosuge, S., 1994
  • Babelomurex spinulosus Costa, O.G., 1861
  • Coralliophila babelis Requien
  • Coralliophila carinata Koroneos, 1979
  • Coralliophila lacerata (Deshayes, 1856)
  • Coralliophila lacerata var. piruloides Martens, 1876 (dubious synonym)
  • Fusus babelis Requien, 1848
  • Fusus babelis var. regalis Requien, 1848
  • Latiaxis babelis (Requien, 1848) (junior synonym)
  • Latiaxis cariniferus (Sowerby I, 1834) (currently placed in genus Babelomurex)
  • Latiaxis elegans Angas, 1878 (synonym)
  • Murex cariniferus Sowerby G.B. I, 1834
  • Murex laceratum Deshayes, 1856 (dubious synonym)
  • Pseudomurex minor Monterosato, T.A. de M. di, 1872
  • Purpura gravesii Broderip, 1837

Distribution

Babelomurex cariniferus is present from the Mediterranean Sea to the west coast of Africa (Canaries, Cape Verde, Angola).[2][4][5][6]

This species (as junior synonym Latiaxis babelis) is listed in the IUCN Red List, because it is thought to be endemic to Malta.[1]

Habitat

These sea snails live in the coral reef among corals and sponges. They can be found from a few meters to more than 1000.[2][7]

A shell of Babelomurex cariniferus from Sicily

Description

Shells of Babelomurex cariniferus can reach a size of 20–45 millimetres (0.79–1.77 in).[5] The shell surface may be whitish or dark greyish.[8] These shells are variably shaped. They show numerous flattened spires with very thorny axial ribs. The keels of the whorls are adorned with several spiniform scales. A corneous operculum is present.[7][9]

This species is quite similar to Babelomurex benoiti, but Babelomurex cariniferus is more variable in feature and sculpture and differs in the number of spiniform scales.[10]

Biology

These uncommon infralittoral sea snails are specialist feeders. In fact they feed exclusively on the polyps of the colonies of scleractinian stony corals.[7][11]

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References
  1. Palazzi, S. (1996). "Latiaxis babelis". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. 1996: e.T11368A3273689. doi:10.2305/IUCN.UK.1996.RLTS.T11368A3273689.en.
  2. Babelomurex cariniferus (Sowerby, 1834). Retrieved through: World Register of Marine Species on 24 April 2010.
  3. Biolib
  4. Galli C.: WMSDB - Worldwide Mollusc Species Data Base
  5. "Babelomurex (Babelomurex) cariniferus". Gastropods.com. Retrieved 12 January 2019.
  6. Discover Life
  7. "Ginux.univpm". Archived from the original on 16 June 2014. Retrieved 20 December 2015.
  8. Giovanni Nikiforos (2002). Fauna del Mediterraneo. Giunti Editore. p. 184. ISBN 978-88-09-02608-7.
  9. Conchiglie del Mediterraneo
  10. Ghisotti, F., 1978: Considerations on Latiaxis babelis and on Latiaxis amaliae Conchiglie (Milan) 14(7-8): 135-142
  11. Alexandra Richter and Angel A. Luque Sex change in two Mediterranean species of Coralliophilidae (Mollusca: Gastropoda: Neogastropoda)

Bibliography
  • Cossignani T. (2010) Validazione di Babelomurex tectumsinensis (Deshayes, 1856). Malacologia Mostra Mondiale 66: 19
  • Emilio Rolan - Malacological Fauna from the Cape Verde Archipelago
  • Gofas, S.; Afonso, J.P.; Brandào, M. (Ed.). (S.a.). Conchas e Moluscos de Angola = Coquillages et Mollusques d'Angola. [Shells and molluscs of Angola]. Universidade Agostinho / Elf Aquitaine Angola: Angola. 140 pp.
  • Gofas, S.; Le Renard, J.; Bouchet, P. (2001). Mollusca, in: Costello, M.J. et al. (Ed.) (2001). European register of marine species: a check-list of the marine species in Europe and a bibliography of guides to their identification. Collection Patrimoines Naturels, 50: pp. 180–213
  • Repetto G., Orlando F. & Arduino G. (2005): Conchiglie del Mediterraneo, Amici del Museo "Federico Eusebio", Alba, Italy
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