Amoria (gastropod)

Amoria
An apertural view of the shell of Damon's volute, Amoria damonii
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Mollusca
Class: Gastropoda
(unranked): clade Caenogastropoda
clade Hypsogastropoda
clade Neogastropoda
Superfamily: Muricoidea
Family: Volutidae
Genus: Amoria
Gray, 1855
Type species
Voluta turneri Gray in Griffith & Pidgeon, 1834
Synonyms[1]
  • Amorena Iredale, 1929
  • Amoria (Amoria) Gray, 1855
  • Amoria (Cymbiolista) Iredale, 1929
  • Canamoria Bondarev, 1995
  • Relegamoria Iredale, 1936
  • Zebramoria Iredale, 1929

Amoria is a taxonomic genus of medium-sized predatory marine gastropod in the family Volutidae. [1]

Distribution

Amoria are found in onshore and offshore waters around the entire coast of Australia. Several species extend into offshore waters of southern Indonesia. The highest areas of diversity are in the intertidal and shallow subtidal waters of northern Western Australia followed by the subtidal waters around the Great Barrier Reef in Queensland.

Shell description

Amoria have a small, smooth, more or less pointed conical protoconch, a solid very glossy, fusiform shell and an elongate aperture with 4 distinct, more or less developed columellar plicae. The sutures are slightly callous. The colour pattern of the genus Amoria is variable, the base colour is white, yellow or pink with varying degrees or brown axial lines forming a pattern over the base colour. Axial lines may be free or may reticulate to form a tented pattern. [2]

The largest species Amoria hunteri reaches over 200 mm in length. The smallest species is probably Amoria dampieria frequently around 20 mm.

Biology

Amoria are nocturnal and prey on other gastropods and on bivalves. They generally inhabit areas with well sorted coarse sand. Some Amoria species have been noted to bite people when they are handled. The bite is followed by a mild sting, but no long-term effects have been noted.

Fossil History

The first Amoria appear in the Eocene and Late Miocene from Victoria. Judging from anatomical features, Amoria are close to the genus Cymbiola from which they descended in the Tertiary. Cymbiola are related to Tethyan species of the Late Miocene of Indonesia, Java.

Taxonomy

Amoria includes 20-30 species. The following species have been recognized:

Species brought into synonymy

Many subspecific names have been created in the genus Amoria to distinguish colour variations in the shells of the species.

References

  1. 1 2 Bouchet, P.; Bail, P. (2012). Amoria Gray, 1855. Accessed through: World Register of Marine Species at http://www.marinespecies.org/aphia.php?p=taxdetails&id=382343 on 2012-06-11
  2. ↑ G.W. Tryon (1886), Manual of Conchology tome IV, Academy of Natural Sciences of Philadelphia
  3. ↑ Gastropods.com: Amoria volva
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External links

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