Mitra (gastropod)

Mitra is a large genus of medium to large predatory sea snails, marine gastropod mollusks in the family Mitridae, the miter shells or mitre snails.[1]

Mitra
A drawing of a live individual of Mitra mitra showing its long proboscis
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Mollusca
Class: Gastropoda
Subclass: Caenogastropoda
Order: Neogastropoda
Family: Mitridae
Subfamily: Mitrinae
Genus: Mitra
Lamarck, 1798
Type species
Mitra mitra
(Linnaeus, 1758)
Species

See text

Synonyms[1]
  • Mitra (Mitra) Lamarck, 1798
  • Mitra (Papalaria) Dall, 1915
  • Mitra (Sohlia) Cernohorsky, 1970
  • Mitraria Rafinesque, 1815 (established, without diagnosis or included species, as a substitute name for Mitra Lamarck, 1798)
  • Tiarella Swainson, 1840

This genus is named after the ecclesiastical headgear, the miter, because of the shells' general shape.

These sea snails create shells that are considered attractive by shell collectors; the shells are solid, high-spired and are often colorful.

Description

The thick shell has a fusiform shape. The spire is elevated and acute at the apex. The aperture is small, narrow and notched in front. The columella is obliquely plicate. The outer lip is thickene and is smooth internally. [2]

Species

Many species that were previously in the genus Mitra have been reassigned in the past years to other genera, including Calcimitra, Gemmulimitra, Isara, Nebularia, Neotiara, Pseudonebularia, Quasimitra, Roseomitra, Strigatella and Vexillum. According to the World Register of Marine Species, the following species with accepted names are currently included within the genus Mitra:[1]

Species in this genus also include:[3][4]

  • Mitra brasiliensis Oliveira, 1869
  • Mitra saldanha Matthews & Rios, 1970
Taxa inquirenda
  • Mitra clara G. B. Sowerby II, 1874
  • Mitra fergusoni G. B. Sowerby II, 1874 [5]
  • Mitra minor G. B. Sowerby II, 1874
  • Mitra nasuta G. B. Sowerby II, 1874
  • Mitra novaehollandiae G. B. Sowerby II, 1874
  • Mitra radula G. B. Sowerby II, 1874
  • Mitra semiconica G. B. Sowerby II, 1874
  • Mitra subrostrata G. B. Sowerby II, 1874
  • Mitra tenuilirata G. B. Sowerby II, 1874
  • Mitra trunculus G. B. Sowerby II, 1874
  • Mitra umbonata G. B. Sowerby II, 1870

Synonyms

References
  1. Mitra Lamarck, 1798. Retrieved through: World Register of Marine Species on 11 December 2018.
  2. Adams, H. & Adams, A. (1853-1858). The genera of Recent Mollusca; arranged according to their organization. London, van Voorst. Vol. 1: xl + 484 pp.; vol. 2: 661 pp.; vol. 3: 138 pls
  3. "Mitra". Integrated Taxonomic Information System.
  4. Powell A. W. B., New Zealand Mollusca, William Collins Publishers Ltd, Auckland, New Zealand 1979 ISBN 0-00-216906-1
  5. Sowerby, G. B. II. (1874). Monograph of the genus Mitra. In G. B. Sowerby II (ed.), Thesaurus conchyliorum, or monographs of genera of shells. Vol. 4 (31-32): 1–46, pls 352–379
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