Big spider head
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Large spider head ( Murex tribulus ). Housing in an aquarium in Genoa |
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| Murex tribulus | ||||||||||||
| Linnaeus , 1758 |
The great spider head ( Murex tribulus ) is a snail from the family of the spiny snail (genus Murex ), which is common in the central Indo-Pacific . It feeds mainly on mollusks and carrion .
features
The pale yellowish snail shell of Murex tribulus has a bulbous body circumference, a protruding thread and a straight siphon channel that is significantly longer than the mouth and thread. There are three axially running varices per colony, on which are rows of long spines that are thick at the bottom and which also continue on the siphon canal almost to its front end. In adult snails the shell can reach a length of up to 8 cm, sometimes up to 10.5 cm. The operculum is horny with the nucleus at the front edge.
The egg capsules of Murex tribulus contain not only eggs that develop further, but also nutrient eggs. There is after emergence from the egg case a multi-day phase as pelagic living Veliger larva and then a metamorphosis to finished young snail.
distribution
The large spider head occurs in the Indian Ocean on the southeastern coast of Africa , around Madagascar , rear India and the Malay Archipelago , in the western Pacific Ocean to Melanesia , north to southern Japan and south to northern Queensland and New Caledonia , possibly also around the Marshall Islands .
habitat
The great spider head lives below the intertidal zone on sand or muddy bottom in shallow water from 1 to 15 m depth.
food
As with other spiny snails, clams make up the majority of Murex tribulus prey . The shell of the prey is either broken open with the edge of the housing or drilled open with the radula and then the proboscis of the snail is guided through the hole to the meat of the victim. The snail also feeds on carrion .
Importance to humans
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Murex tribulus is collected because of its housing and sold as jewelry. The meat is eaten.
The snails can become a nuisance for the fishermen when they step into the spines of the housing with their feet when pulling the nets.
Individual evidence
- ^ A b C. Brüggemann (1838): The natural history in faithful illustrations and with a detailed description of the same. Eduard Eisenach publisher, Leipzig 1838. The molluscs. P. 72. The Great Spider Head. Murex Crassispina Lam. s. Tribulus L.
- ↑ Carolus Linnaeus : Systema Naturae. 10th ed., Lars Salvius: Stockholm 1758, p. 747. 444. Murex Tribulus.
- ↑ Muricidae - Purpuras, murex and rock shells ( page no longer available , search in web archives ) Info: The link was automatically marked as defective. Please check the link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. (Identification key for the snails , English, on the FAO website ). From: JM Poutiers: Gastropods . In: Kent E. Carpenter, Volker H. Niem (eds.): FAO Species identification guide for fishery purposes. The living marine resources of the Western Central Pacific. Volume 1: Seaweeds, corals, bivalves and gastropods. Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, Rome, 1998. p. 554.
- ↑ AM Khalil: Induction of settlement and metamorphosis of planktonic larvae of Murex tribulus (Gastropoda: Mollusca) by three neuroactive products. In: Journal of the Egyptian German Society of Zoology. D. Invertebrate Zoology and Parasitology, 13: 1994, 379-395.
- ↑ JK Patterson Edward, M. Xavier Ramesh, K. Ayakkannu: Comparative study of holes in bivalves, chipped and bored by the muricid gastropods Chicoreus ramosus, Chicoreus virgineus and Murex tribulus. Phuket Marine Biological Center Special Publication no 11: 1992, 106-110.
- ↑ LJ Bibbey, in: GE Radwin, A. D'Attilio (1976): Murex shells of the world , p. 7
literature
- GE Radwin, A. D'Attilio: Murex shells of the world. An illustrated guide to the Muricidae . Stanford Univ. Press, Stanford 1976, ISBN 978-0-8047-0897-5 , x + pp. 1–284 including 192 figs. + 32 pls., Murex tribulus : pp. 72-74.
Web links
- Muricidae: Murex tribulus Linnaeus, 1758 . From: JM Poutiers: Gastropods . In: Kent E. Carpenter, Volker H. Niem (eds.): FAO Species identification guide for fishery purposes. The living marine resources of the Western Central Pacific. Volume 1: Seaweeds, corals, bivalves and gastropods. Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, Rome, 1998. p. 565.
- What's that fish? - Mud Walkman, Murex tribulus (picture)