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Amoria (gastropod)

Genus of sea snails From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Amoria (gastropod)
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Amoria is a taxonomic genus of medium-sized predatory marine gastropod in the subfamily Amoriinae, belonging to the family Volutidae.[1]

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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.

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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

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Amoria includes more than 70 species, synonyms included. The following species have been recognized:

Species brought into synonymy
  • Amoria grossi Iredale, 1927: synonym of Volutoconus grossi (Iredale, 1927) (original combination)
  • Amoria kawamurai Habe, 1975 - Arafura, Timor Sea: synonym of the subspecies Amoria grayi kawamurai Habe, 1975
  • Amoria kingi Cox, 1871: synonym of Amoria undulata (Lamarck, 1804)
  • Amoria molleri (Iredale, 1936): synonym of Relegamoria molleri Iredale, 1936 (superseded combination)
  • Amoria newmanae Cotton, 1949: synonym of Amoria turneri (Gray in Griffith & Pidgeon, 1834)

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

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References

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