Siratus motacilla

Siratus motacilla is a species of sea snail, a marine gastropod mollusc in the family Muricidae, the murex snails or rock snails.^[1]

Siratus motacilla
Shell of Siratus motacilla (specimen at MNHN, Paris)
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Mollusca
Class:	Gastropoda
Subclass:	Caenogastropoda
Order:	Neogastropoda
Family:	Muricidae
Genus:	Siratus
Species:	S. motacilla
Binomial name
Siratus motacilla (Gmelin, 1791)
Synonyms[1]
Murex briskasii Verrill, 1953 Murex motacilla Gmelin, 1791

Description

The length of the shell regularly attains 50–60 mm.

Its shell colour varies between shades of yellow through pink to a darker red, in strong spiral bands.

This deepwater species can have a considerably extended siphonal canal sometimes accounting for more than half the shell's overall length. The mollusc's operculum efficiently seals the aperture completely.

Distribution

This uncommon species has been trapped alive off the West coast of Barbados Lesser Antilles, at depths around 100 m; also off Martinique.