Vasum globulus

Vasum globulus is a rare species of medium-sized predatory sea snail, a marine gastropod mollusk in the family Turbinellidae, subfamily Vasinae, the vase snails.^[1]

Vasum globulus
Drawing of a shell of Vasum globulus
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Mollusca
Class:	Gastropoda
Subclass:	Caenogastropoda
Order:	Neogastropoda
Family:	Turbinellidae
Subfamily:	Vasinae
Genus:	Vasum
Species:	V. globulus
Binomial name
Vasum globulus Lamarck, 1816
Synonyms[1]
Buccinella tuberculata Perry, 1811 (invalid: declared a nomen oblitum by Petit (2003) under ICZN Article 23.9.2, with the junior synonym Vasum globulus becoming a nomen protectum) Globivasum globulus (Lamarck, 1816) Turbinella globulus Lamarck, 1816 (basionym) Turbinella nuttingi Henderson, 1919 Vasum antiguaensis Usticke, 1971 Vasum globulus antiguense Nowell-Usticke, 1969 Voluta globosa Dillwyn, 1817

Subspecies:

• Vasum globulus nuttingi (J. Henderson, 1919) (synonym: Turbinella nuttingi J. Henderson, 1919)

Description

The shell of the species is almost spherical, which is unusual in vase snails, hence the specific name globulus. The maximum recorded size of the shell is 43 mm, but it is small compared to that of other species in the same genus.

Distribution

This species appears to be endemic to a few small islands in the Leeward Island chain of the Lesser Antilles, West Indies. It has been recorded from the following islands:

• Barbuda
• Antigua
• Sint Eustatius