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Janthina exigua (Lamarck, 1822)Species Images
A pelagic species washed up after rough weather. 16mm
Washed up on beach after storm, Far North, NZ. 15mm
Janthina exigua (Lamarck, 1822)
Classification:
Mollusca (Phylum) > Gastropoda (Class) > Caenogastropoda (Subclass) > Ptenoglossa (Order) > Epitonioidea (Superfamily) > Epitoniidae (Family) > Janthina (Genus) > exigua (Species)
Family:
EPITONIIDAE
Size/Grows to:
Height 23mm, Width 21mm
Distribution:
Commonly washed ashore on west coast beaches
Geographical Range:
ACFM
Notes:
Violet Snail, Marine, Pelagic, feeds mainly on colonial cnidarians (Physalia, Velella, Porpita). Strong and widely spaced growth ridges
Distribution Map
 
References and Publications
  • Beu, A.G. 2017 Evolution of Janthina and Recluzia (Mollusca: Gastropoda: Epitoniidae), Records of the Australian Museum, 63(3) (p.191)
  • Powell, A.W.B. 1979 New Zealand Mollusca: Marine, Land and Freshwater Shells, Collins, Auckland (p.254)

*2 © Museum of New Zealand Te Papa Tongarewa (CC-BY-NC-ND)

Key to Geographical Ranges
NZ Map showing Geographical Ranges
The symbols K.A.C.F.M.An. are used to indicate the geographical range of the species. They have been adopted to give an approximation of the range of each species within New Zealand.
K=
Kermadec Islands
A=
Aupourian - Kaipara Harbour, north around North Cape, encompassing the Three Kings Islands and south to East Cape
C=
Cookian - Lower North Island and the northern part of the South Island
F=
Forsterian - Otago, Fiordland and Stewart Island
M=
Moriorian - Chatham Islands, Pitt Island
An=
Antipodean - Subantarctic Islands of New Zealand
Fw =
Freshwater
L =
Land
N =
North Island
S =
South Island
E =
Endemic
I =
Introduced
R =
Recent
Sf =
Subfossil
Fo =
Fossil