Madras Harp

Harpa davidis, common name the Madras harp or David harp, is a species of sea snail, a marine gastropod mollusk in the family Harpidae, the harp snails.^[1]

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.^[2][3][4]

A shell of Harpa davidis

Habitat

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

Description

Shells of Harpa davidis can reach a size of 60–119 millimetres (2.4–4.7 in).^[2] 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,^[5] 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