Harpa major
Harpa major | |
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A live individual of Harpa major | |
Scientific classification ![]() | |
Domain: | Eukaryota |
Kingdom: | Animalia |
Phylum: | Mollusca |
Class: | Gastropoda |
Subclass: | Caenogastropoda |
Order: | Neogastropoda |
Family: | Harpidae |
Genus: | Harpa |
Species: | H. major |
Binomial name | |
Harpa major Röding, 1798 | |
Synonyms[1] | |
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Harpa major, common name large harp,[1] or major harp,[2] is a species of large predatory sea snail, a marine gastropod mollusks in the family Harpidae, the harp snails and their allies.[1]
Description
The size of the shell varies between 60 mm and 130 mm . The average adult reaches 3 1/2 inches and the shells have an ovate body with a heavily calloused spire. The columella, or the lower portion of the inside coil, has dark brown coloring.[2]
It has a long siphon, a large mouth and a very large foot in proportion to its shell, which it uses to hunt its prey. A voracious nocturnal predator of benthic crustaceans on sandy bottoms, it can prey on crabs as large as itself.
![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/b/bc/Harpa_major_005.jpg/220px-Harpa_major_005.jpg)
Distribution
This marine species occurs off East Africa, Tanzania, Mozambique, the Mascarene Basin; off Hawaii
References
- ^ a b c Rosenberg, G. (2015). Harpa major Röding, 1798. In: MolluscaBase (2015). Accessed through: World Register of Marine Species at http://www.marinespecies.org/aphia.php?p=taxdetails&id=208166 on 2016-02-28
- ^ a b The Encyclopedia of Shells 1998 Kenneth R. Wye
- Walls, J.G. (1980). Conchs, tibias and harps. A survey of the molluscan families Strombidae and Harpidae. T.F.H. Publications Ltd, Hong Kong.
External links
![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/4/4a/Commons-logo.svg/30px-Commons-logo.svg.png)
- Gastropods.com info, shell images
- Ladd, H.S. (1977). Cenozoic fossil mollusks from western Pacific islands; Gastropods (Eratoidae through Harpidae). U.S. Geological Survey Professional Paper. 533: i–iv, 1–84, pls 1–23
This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the public domain.
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