Relevant Synonyms Canarium mutabile (Swainson, 1821) Misidentification -  drawing: Tuvia Kurz

SHORT DESCRIPTION Shell with a moderately high spire and a large, slightly inflated body whorl. Spire whorls with a faint keel which disappears on the body whorl of the adults; early whorls also with fine axial folds. Aperture elongated, posteriorly notched, anteriorly with a very shallow subterminal fold near the siphonal canal, and a short, widely open siphonal canal. Inside of aperture with distinct, crowded grooves on both the columellar edge and the lip. color : whitish background, and brown markings organized to form irregular flames, more intense along several spiral bands. common size : up to 35 mm in the Indo-Pacific, the Mediterranean adult specimen 18.6 x 11.3 mm. DISTINGUISHING CHARACTERISTICS This species is distinguished from S. persicus by the more inflated profile of the body whorl, the shallower subterminal fold of the aperture (on adults) and the presence of grooves inside the aperture. There are several similar Indo-Pacific species, of which the taxonomy is confusing (see Abbott, 1960). BIOLOGY / ECOLOGY Larvae are planktotrophic, ensuring long-distance dispersal. All Strombus species are herbivorous, feeding on algae. habitat : in the Indo-Pacific, this species lives in sheltered back-reef areas.

1st Mediterranean record Israel, 2001 [1991]. DISTRIBUTION Worldwide: Red Sea, Persian Gulf, Indian and Pacific Ocean, including Polynesia. Mediterranean: Israel, one shell collected in 1991 at Habonin, Israel and two juveniles collected at Shiqmona in 1998 (Mienis, 2001b). ESTABLISHMENT SUCCESS Only the mentioned records which must be viewed as questionable, as this is one of the commonest species in the souvenir trade. speculated reasons for success : - MODE OF INTRODUCTION Possibly via the Suez Canal. IMPORTANCE TO HUMANS None.

KEY REFERENCES Abbott R.T., 1960. The genus Strombus in the Indo-Pacific. Indo-Pacific Mollusca, 1(2): 33-144. Mienis, H.K., 1971. Revision of Strombus (Canarium) mutabilis ochroglottis Abbott (Gastropoda: Strombidae). Archiv für Molluskenkunde, 101(5-6): 301-304. Mienis H.K., 2001b. Mariene Mollusken uit het Oostelijk deel van de middellandse zee. 5. De eerste vondsten van Canarium mutabilis. Spirula - Correspondentieblad van de Nederlandse Malacologische Vereniging, 323: 118.   FEEDBACK / COMMENTS TO AUTHORS

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