Nassarius pyrrhus

Nassarius pyrrhus, common name the red-banded nassa, is a species of sea snail, a marine gastropod mollusc in the family Nassariidae, the nassa mud snails or dog whelks.^[1]

Nassarius pyrrhus
Two views of a shell of Nassarius pyrrhus
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Mollusca
Class:	Gastropoda
Subclass:	Caenogastropoda
Order:	Neogastropoda
Family:	Nassariidae
Genus:	Nassarius
Species:	N. pyrrhus
Binomial name
Nassarius pyrrhus (Menke, 1843)
Synonyms[1]
Alectrion victorianus Iredale, 1916 Arcularia victoriana (Iredale, 1916) Buccinum fasciatum Lamarck, 1822 (invalid: junior homonym of Buccinum fasciatum G. Fischer, 1807) Buccinum jacksonianum Kiener, 1834 (invalid: junior homonym of Buccinum jacksonianum Quoy & Gaimard, 1833) Buccinum pyrrhum Menke, 1843 (original combination) Nassa (Tritia) dealbata A. Adams, 1853 Nassa dealbata A. Adams, 1853 Nassa fasciata (Lamarck, 1822) Nassarius (Zeuxis) pyrrhus (Menke, 1843) · accepted, alternate representation Nassarius dealbatus (A. Adams, 1853) Nassarius victorianus (Iredale, 1916) Niotha pyrrhus (Menke, 1843)

Description

The length of the shell varies between 14 mm and 22 mm.

The shell is ovate and conical. The spire is short, pointed, composed of seven or eight convex whorls. These are noduled at their upper part, ornamented upon their whole external surface with slightly undulated longitudinal folds. Often the folds upon the body whorl disappear partially upon the edge of the outer lip, and this whorl presents at its base a few striae which intersect the folds crosswise, and thus form granulations. The whitish aperture is subrotund and a little narrowed above. The thick outer lip is accompanied by a slightly prominent external varix. The internal part of the lip is marked with numerous fine striae.^[2]

Distribution

This species is endemic to Australia and occurs off New South Wales, South Australia, Tasmania, Victoria, Western Australia.