Vasum

Vasum, common name the vase snails or vase shells, is a genus of mostly rather large predatory sea snails, marine gastropod mollusks within the family Turbinellidae.[1]

Vasum
A live but retracted individual of Vasum rhinoceras in a tide pool in Mombasa, Kenya, Africa
Scientific classification
Kingdom:
Animalia
Phylum:
Mollusca
Class:
Gastropoda
(unranked):
clade Caenogastropoda
clade Hypsogastropoda
clade Neogastropoda
Superfamily:
Turbinelloidea
Family:
Turbinellidae
Subfamily:
Vasinae
Genus:
Vasum
Type species
Murex ceramicus
Species

See text

Synonyms[1]
  • Cynodonta Schumacher, 1817
  • Siphovasum Rehder & Abbott, 1951
  • Volutella Perry, 1810

Shell description

Shells of species in this genus are usually somewhat large, and are usually very thick and heavy. They are often vase-shaped, in the sense that the shell of most of the species is more or less widely conical. The shells have a thick periostracum, a low spires, and 2, 3 or 4 plaits on the columella.

Species

Species within the genus Vasum include:



Species brought into synonymy
  • Vasum aldridgei Nowell-Usticke, 1969: synonym of Attiliosa aldridgei (Nowell-Usticke, 1969)
  • Vasum castaneum Röding, 1798: synonym of Thais (Thalessa) tuberosa (Röding, 1798)
  • Vasum flindersi Verco, 1914: synonym of Altivasum flindersi (Verco, 1914)
  • Vasum turbinellum [sic] accepted as Vasum turbinellus (Linnaeus, 1758)
  • Vasum urna Röding, 1798 accepted as Vasum muricatum (Born, 1778)

References
  1. Bouchet, P. (2011). Vasum Röding, 1798. Accessed through: World Register of Marine Species at http://www.marinespecies.org/aphia.php?p=taxdetails&id=205505 on 15 April 2012
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