Morula lepida (from Latin lepida: elegant, fine[1]) is a species of sea snail, a marine gastropod mollusk in the family Muricidae, the murex snails or rock snails.[2]
| Morula lepida | |
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Scientific classification 
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| Domain: | Eukaryota |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Mollusca |
| Class: | Gastropoda |
| Subclass: | Caenogastropoda |
| Order: | Neogastropoda |
| Family: | Muricidae |
| Genus: | Morula |
| Species: | M. lepida
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| Binomial name | |
| Morula lepida (Houart, 1995)
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| Synonyms[2] | |
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Description
editThe squamous shell is medium sized for the genus, attaining a length of up to 15 mm at maturity. The spire sits high with 2.5+ partly broken protoconch whorls. The teleoconch has up to 6 elongated whorls and impressed sutures. The protoconch is smooth and conical.[1]
The axial sculpture consists of moderately high, rounded ribs with about 8-9 on the first and fourth teleoconch whorls, 8 on the second and third whorls and 9-11 on the fifth and sixth whorls. The spiral sculpture consists of numerous, narrow, squamous cords of about the same size. The last teleoconch whorls has 26-28 such cords with 2 or 3 on its abapical part being slightly larger.[1]
The aperture is ovate with a fully adherent columellar lip that is smooth apart from 2 or 3 small abapical nodules. The anal notch is shallow and broad. Furthermore, the outer lip is minutely crenulate with 5 nodules within. The siphonal canal is very short and open. The shell's colour can be described as creamy-white, light tan or light mauve, with the broader spiral cords on the abapical part of the last teleoconch whorl being paler. The aperture is (light) pink or a pinkish-violet.[1]
At the time of the first description of the species (1995) the existence of an operculum and a radula were unknown.[1]
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Distribution
editThis marine species occurs off New Caledonia, Loyalty Ridge, the Midway and Hawaiian Islands as well as Papua New Guinea.[1]
References
edit- ^ a b c d e f g Houart, Roland (1995) [1994]. "Some notes on the genus Spinidrupa Habe and Kosuge, 1966 (Muricidae: Ergalataxinae), with the description of Habromorula gen. nov. (Muricidae: Rapaninae) and four new species from the Indo-West Pacific". Iberus. 12 (2): 26.
- ^ a b Morula lepida (Houart, 1995). Retrieved through: World Register of Marine Species on 24 April 2010.
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