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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
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)

NZ Geographical Regions
Key to symbols used in Checklist.
Fw =
Freshwater
L =
Land
N =
North Island
S =
South Island
R =
Recent
Sf =
Subfossil
Fo =
Fossil
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