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Harpa major Röding 1798

Harpa major

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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.

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Shell of Harpa major (specimen at MNHN, Paris)

Distribution

This marine species occurs off East Africa, Tanzania, Mozambique, the Mascarene Basin; off Hawaii

References

  1. ^ 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
  2. ^ 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.

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Harpa major: Brief Summary

provided by wikipedia EN

Harpa major, common name large harp, or major harp, is a species of large predatory sea snail, a marine gastropod mollusks in the family Harpidae, the harp snails and their allies.

license
cc-by-sa-3.0
copyright
Wikipedia authors and editors
original
visit source
partner site
wikipedia EN