Article · Wikipedia archive · Last revised Jun 24, 2026

Ministrombus variabilis

Ministrombus variabilis, the variable conch, is a species of sea snail, a marine gastropod mollusk in the family Strombidae, the true conchs.

Last revised
Jun 24, 2026
Read time
≈ 2 min
Length
395 w
Citations
2
Source
Ministrombus variabilis
Five views of a shell of Ministrombus variabilis
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Mollusca
Class: Gastropoda
Subclass: Caenogastropoda
Order: Littorinimorpha
Family: Strombidae
Genus: Ministrombus
Species:
M. variabilis
Binomial name
Ministrombus variabilis
(Swainson, 1820)
Synonyms1
  • Dolomena (Ministrombus) variabilis (Swainson, 1820)
  • Dolomena variabilis (Swainson, 1820) superseded combination
  • Dolomena variabilis variabilis (Swainson, 1820)· accepted, alternate representation
  • Strombus (Dolomena) variabilis Swainson, 1820
  • Strombus (Dolomena) variabilis var. palauensis Romagna-Manoja, 1974 (unavailable name under Art. 15.1 and 15.2 of the ICZN)
  • Strombus (Dolomena) variabilis variabilis Swainson, 1820
  • Strombus lituratus Menke, 1829 (dubious synonym)
  • Strombus variabilis Swainson, 1820 (basionym)

Ministrombus variabilis, the variable conch, is a species of sea snail, a marine gastropod mollusk in the family Strombidae, the true conchs.1

Description

The shell size varies between 25 mm and 60 mm.

Distribution

This species is distributed in the Pacific Ocean along the Philippines, Samoa, Indonesia and Northeast Australia. There have been a total of 516 occurrences[1], 219 of them being from Australia.

References

References

  • Chenu, 1844 Parts 26–27. In Illustrations Conchyliologiques ou description et figures de toutes les coquilles connues vivantes et fossiles, classées suivant le système de Lamarck modifié d'après les progrès de la science et comprenant les genres nouveaux et les espèces récemment découvertes, p. Strombus pp 1–8 ; Spondylus pl 28, 29 ; Pecten pl 2, 8, 3, 4, 44-6 ; Cassis pl 2 ; Vermetus pl; 4 ; Dentalium pl 7
  • Maxwell, S.J. (2022). An iconography of Ministrombus Dekkers, 2010 (Gastropoda: Neostromboidae: Strombidae) with the description of new species. The Festivus. 54(2): 116-140.
  • Dekkers, A. M. (2010). A hybrid in the genus Ministrombus Bandel, 2007 (Gastropoda: Strombidae) and a new combination for Strombus variabilis Swainson, 1820. Gloria Maris. 49(1): 7-13
  • Maxwell S.J., Dekkers A.M., Rymer T.L. & Congdon B.C. (2020). Towards resolving the American and West African Strombidae (Mollusca: Gastropoda: Neostromboidae) using integrated taxonomy. The Festivus. 52(1): 3-38.
External links