Harpa major
| Harpa major | |
|---|---|
| |
| A live individual of Harpa major | |
Scientific classification 
| |
| Domain: | Eukaryota |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Mollusca |
| Class: | Gastropoda |
| Subclass: | Caenogastropoda |
| Order: | Neogastropoda |
| Family: | Harpidae |
| Genus: | Harpa |
| Species: | H. major
|
| Binomial name | |
| Harpa major Röding, 1798
| |
| Synonyms[1] | |
| |
Harpa major, common name large harp,[1] or major harp,[2] is a species of large predatory sea snail, a marine gastropod mollusks in the family Harpidae, the harp snails and their allies.[1]
Description[edit]
The size of the shell varies between 60 mm and 130 mm . The average adult reaches 3 1/2 inches and the shells have an ovate body with a heavily calloused spire. The columella, or the lower portion of the inside coil, has dark brown coloring.[2]
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It has a long siphon, a large mouth and a very large foot in proportion to its shell, which it uses to hunt its prey. A voracious nocturnal predator of benthic crustaceans on sandy bottoms, it can prey on crabs as large as itself.
Distribution[edit]
This marine species occurs off East Africa, Tanzania, Mozambique, the Mascarene Basin; off Hawaii
References[edit]
- Walls, J.G. (1980). Conchs, tibias and harps. A survey of the molluscan families Strombidae and Harpidae. T.F.H. Publications Ltd, Hong Kong.
External links[edit]
- Gastropods.com info, shell images
- Ladd, H.S. (1977). Cenozoic fossil mollusks from western Pacific islands; Gastropods (Eratoidae through Harpidae). U.S. Geological Survey Professional Paper. 533: i–iv, 1–84, pls 1–23
This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the public domain.
