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Euspira

Euspira is a genus of medium-sized sea snails, marine gastropod molluscs in the subfamily Polinicinae of the family Naticidae, the moon snails.

Last revised
Jul 25, 2026
Read time
≈ 3 min
Length
762 w
Citations
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Wikipedia ↗
Euspira
Temporal range:
Euspira catena
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Mollusca
Class: Gastropoda
Subclass: Caenogastropoda
Order: Littorinimorpha
Superfamily: Naticoidea
Family: Naticidae
Genus: Euspira
Agassiz, 1838
Synonyms1
  • † Labellinacca Cossmann, 1919
  • Lunatia Gray, 1847
  • Mamma (Lunatia) Gray, 1847 junior subjective synonym
  • Natica (Euspira) Agassiz, 1837
  • Natica (Lunatia) Gray, 1847
  • Polinices (Euspira) Agassiz, 1838
  • Polinices (Lunatia) Gray, 1847
  • Uber (Euspira) Agassiz, 1837

Euspira is a genus of medium-sized sea snails, marine gastropod molluscs in the subfamily Polinicinae of the family Naticidae, the moon snails.1

Fossil reports

This genus is known in the fossil records from the Triassic to the Quaternary (age range: from 242.0 to 0.0 million years ago). Fossils are found in the marine strata throughout the world. There are about 25 extinct species.2

Fossil shell of Euspira catena from Pliocene of Italy source ↗

Species

Species within the genus Euspira include:12

  • Euspira abyssicola (E. A. Smith, 1896)
  • Euspira agujana (Dall, W.H., 1908)
  • Euspira blaizensis (Kilburn, 1976)
  • Euspira borshengjungi K.-Y. Lai, 2017
  • Euspira catena (Costa, E.M. da, 1778)
  • Euspira crawfordiana (Dall, 1908)
  • † Euspira elegans (Suter, 1917)
  • † Euspira eyrensis Finlay, 1927
  • Euspira fringilla (Dall, 1881)
  • Euspira fusca (Blainville, H.M.D. de, 1825)
  • † Euspira fyfei (Marwick, 1924)
  • Euspira gilva (Philippi, 1851)
  • † Euspira glaucinoides (J. Sowerby, 1812)
  • Euspira grossularia (Marche-Marchad, I., 1957)
  • Euspira guilleminii (Payraudeau, 1826)
  • † Euspira helicina (Brocchi, 1814)
  • Euspira heros (Say, T., 1822)
  • † Euspira ilhagwilensis Pacaud, 2016
  • Euspira intricata (Donovan, 1804)
  • † Euspira lateaperta (Marwick, 1924)
  • Euspira lemaitrei (Kilburn, 1976)
  • Euspira levicula (A. E. Verrill, 1880)
  • Euspira levis (E. A. Smith, 1896)
  • Euspira litorina (Dall, 1908)
  • Euspira macilenta (Philippi, 1844)
  • Euspira massieri Petuch & Berschauer, 2018
  • Euspira montagui (Forbes, E., 1838)
  • Euspira monterona Dall, 1919
  • Euspira napus (Smith, E.A., 1904)
  • Euspira nitida (Donovan, E., 1804)
  • Euspira notabilis Jeffreys, 1885
  • Euspira nubila (Dall, 1889)
  • Euspira nux (Okutani, 1964)
  • Euspira obtusa (Jeffreys, 1885)
  • Euspira pallida (Broderip, W.J. & G.B. I Sowerby, 1829)
  • Euspira pardoana (Dall, 1908)
  • Euspira phaeocephala (Dautzenberg & Fischer H., 1896)
  • Euspira pila (Pilsbry, H.A., 1911)
  • Euspira plicispira (Kuroda, T., 1961)
  • Euspira presubplicata (Bouchet & Warén, 1993)
  • Euspira sagamiensis Kuroda & Habe, 1971
  • Euspira strebeli (Dall, 1908)
  • Euspira subplicata (Jeffreys, 1885)
  • Euspira talismani Bouchet & Warén, 1993
  • Euspira tenuis (Récluz, 1851)
  • Euspira tenuistriata (Dautzenberg, Ph. & H. Fischer, 1911)
  • Euspira triseriata (Say, T., 1826)
  • † Euspira varians (Dujardin, 1837)
  • Euspira yokoyamai (Kuroda & Habe, 1952)
Species brought into synonymy
  • Euspira acosmita Dall, 1919: synonym of Cryptonatica affinis (Gmelin, 1791)
  • Euspira bahamensis Dall, 1925: synonym of Sigatica semisulcata (Gray, 1839)
  • Euspira canonica Dall, 1919: synonym of Euspira pallida (Broderip & G.B. Sowerby I, 1829)
  • Euspira draconis (Dall, 1903): synonym of Glossaulax draconis (Dall, 1903)
  • Euspira falklandica (Preston, 1913): synonym of Falsilunatia falklandica (Preston, 1913)
  • Euspira fortunei (Reeve, 1855): synonym of Laguncula pulchella Benson, 1842
  • Euspira immaculata (Totten, 1835): synonym of Polinices immaculatus (Totten, 1835)
  • Euspira lewisii (Gould, 1847): synonym of Lunatia lewisii (Gould, 1847)
  • Euspira nana (Møller, 1842): synonym of Pseudopolinices nanus (Møller, 1842)
  • Euspira patagonica (Philippi, 1845): synonym of Falsilunatia patagonica (Philippi, 1845)
  • Euspira poliana (delle Chiaje, 1830): synonym of Euspira pulchella (Risso, 1826)
  • Euspira politiana Dall, 1919: synonym of Lunatia pallida (Broderip & G.B. Sowerby I, 1829)
  • Euspira pulchella (Risso, 1826): synonym of Euspira nitida (Donovan, 1804)
  • Euspira rouxi (Nicklès, 1952): synonym of Natica rouxi Nicklès, 1952
  • Euspira sandwichensis (Dall, 1895): synonym of Natica sandwichensis (Dall, 1895)
  • Euspira venusta Suter, 1907: synonym of Globisinum venustum (Suter, 1907)
References

References

  1. Gofas, S. (2011). Euspira Agassiz, 1838. Accessed through: World Register of Marine Species at http://www.marinespecies.org/aphia.php?p=taxdetails&id=138239 on 2011-04-17
  2. Fossilworks
  • Sowerby J. 1837. Mineral-Conchologie Grossbrittaniens, von James Sowerby; deutsche Bearbeitung, herausgegeben von Hercules Nicolet, durchgesehen von Dr. Agassiz. Neuchatel: H. Nicolet, 52 pp., 21 pis. page(s): 14
  • Backeljau, T. (1986). Lijst van de recente mariene mollusken van België [List of the recent marine molluscs of Belgium]. Koninklijk Belgisch Instituut voor Natuurwetenschappen: Brussels, Belgium. 106 pp
  • Vaught, K.C. (1989). A classification of the living Mollusca. American Malacologists: Melbourne, FL (USA). ISBN 0-915826-22-4. XII, 195 pp
  • Gofas, S.; Le Renard, J.; Bouchet, P. (2001). Mollusca, in: Costello, M.J. et al. (Ed.) (2001). European register of marine species: a check-list of the marine species in Europe and a bibliography of guides to their identification. Collection Patrimoines Naturels, 50: pp. 180–213
External links