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Taxonomy
Family:
COMINELLIDAE
Full Classification:
Mollusca (Phylum)
> Gastropoda (Class)
> Caenogastropoda (Subclass)
> Neogastropoda (Order)
> Buccinoidea (Superfamily)
> Cominellidae (Family)
> Cominella (Genus)
> adspersa (Species)
Synonymised Names:
=Acominia adspersa (Bruguière, 1789)
=Acominia adspersa nimia Finlay, 1928
=Buccinum adspersum Bruguière, 1789
=Buccinum maculatum Martyn, 1784
=Buccinum melo Lesson, 1840
=Buccinum quoyii Kiener, 1834
=Buccinum turgitum Gmelin, 1791
=Cominella (Cominella) adspersa (Bruguière, 1789) accepted, alternate representation
=Cominella maculata (Gray, 1835)
=Cominella maculata melo (Lesson, 1840)
=Purpura maculata Gray, 1835
Images: Cominella adspersa (Bruguière, 1789)
(melo form) - Parengarenga Harbour, Far North, NZ. 46mm
Whangarei Heads, Northland, NZ. 52mm
Intertidal, Northland, NZ
A group devouring some decaying fish, Henderson Bay, Far North, NZ. 30-40mm
Taxonomy
Family:
COMINELLIDAE
Full Classification:
Mollusca (Phylum)
> Gastropoda (Class)
> Caenogastropoda (Subclass)
> Neogastropoda (Order)
> Buccinoidea (Superfamily)
> Cominellidae (Family)
> Cominella (Genus)
> adspersa (Species)
Synonymised Names:
=Acominia adspersa (Bruguière, 1789)
=Acominia adspersa nimia Finlay, 1928
=Buccinum adspersum Bruguière, 1789
=Buccinum maculatum Martyn, 1784
=Buccinum melo Lesson, 1840
=Buccinum quoyii Kiener, 1834
=Buccinum turgitum Gmelin, 1791
=Cominella (Cominella) adspersa (Bruguière, 1789) accepted, alternate representation
=Cominella maculata (Gray, 1835)
=Cominella maculata melo (Lesson, 1840)
=Purpura maculata Gray, 1835
Details: Cominella adspersa (Bruguière, 1789)
Size/Grows to:
Height 74mm, Width 45mm
Distribution:
North Island, northern part of South Island and Chatham Islands
Geographical Range:
ACM
Notes:
Whelk, Marine, Native - Endemic
Distribution Map
 
References and Publications
  • O'Shea, S. Apr/1985 Variation in shell shape in Cominella adspersa, Poirieria, 14(1) (p.3)
  • Powell, A.W.B. 1979 New Zealand Mollusca: Marine, Land and Freshwater Shells, Collins, Auckland (p.192)

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
R =
Recent
Sf =
Subfossil
Fo =
Fossil
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