Rapana venosa (Valenciennes, 1846)
Purple whelk
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Family:  Muricidae (purpuras, murex and rock shells)
Max. size:  16.1 cm SHH (male/unsexed)
Environment:  benthic; brackish; marine; depth range 10 - 60 m
Distribution:  Indo-West Pacific. Introduced in the Atlantic, the Mediterranean and Black Sea.
Diagnosis:  The species has a short-spired, heavy shell with a large inflated deep body whorl and deep umbilicus. The columella is broad, smooth, and slightly concave. Small and elongated teeth are present along the edge of the outer lip of the large ovate aperture. The external shell ornamentation has smooth spiral ribs that end in regular blunt knobs at both the shoulder and the periphery of the body whorl. In addition, fine spiral ridges are crossed by low vertical riblets. Body color is variable from gray to orange-brown and rarely blonde, with darker brown dashes on the spiral ribs. The aperture and columella vary from deep orange to yellow or off-white. Spiral, vein-like coloration, varying from black to dark blue, occasionally occurs internally, originating at the individual teeth at the outer lip of the aperture.
Biology:  A large, predatory gastropod (Ref. 87893). The juvenile and adult stage of this species are preyed upon by loggerhead sea turtles (Caretta caretta) (Ref. 87893). Larvae are dispersed with water currents (Ref. 87977). This gastropod is a successful invader of marine coastal/brackish ecosystems , being tolerant to wide variations in temperature, salinity and oxygen concentration (Ref. 87992, 87996). Rapa whelks are generally encountered in areas to depths of 30 m in the Black Sea; on sandy bottoms at 15 m covered by Zostera sp. and Cymodocea nodosa meadows (Ref. 7956). Also occurs in rocky and muddy habitat (Ref. 87909). Feeds on bivalves (Ref. 87979).
IUCN Red List Status: Not Evaluated (N.E.) Ref. 123251)
Threat to humans:  harmless
Country info:   
 

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