Taxonomy
- Kingdom: Animalia
- Phylum: Mollusca
- Class: Gastropoda
- Subclass: Caenogastropoda
- Order: Neogastropoda
- Family: Muricidae (rock‑snails or murex snails)
- Subfamily: Coralliophilinae
- Genus: Babelomurex Iredale, 1929
- Species: Babelomurex depressispiratus (Kosuge, 1979)
Authority
The species was originally described by T. Kosuge in 1979 under the name Latiaxis depressispiratus. It has since been reassigned to the genus Babelomurex.
Synonyms
- Latiaxis depressispiratus Kosuge, 1979
Description
Babelomurex depressispiratus is a small marine gastropod. Key shell characteristics reported in the original description include:
- A rather low (depressed) spire, from which the specific epithet “depressispiratus” is derived.
- Numerous rounded axial ribs and fine spiral cords giving the surface a cancellate appearance.
- A thin, irregularly denticulate outer lip.
- Shell size typically ranges from 8 mm to 12 mm in maximum dimension (measured along the shell’s greatest axis).
Distribution and Habitat
The species is known from the Western Pacific region. Recorded localities include:
- The Philippines (type locality).
- Adjacent waters of the South China Sea.
It is a coral‑associated species, inhabiting subtidal zones where it lives among or on coral substrates. Depth records are limited but fall within the typical range for coralliophiline muricids (approximately 20–80 m).
Ecology
Like other members of the subfamily Coralliophilinae, B. depressispiratus is presumed to be a coral‑feeding (corallivorous) snail, although specific feeding observations for this species have not been documented in the primary literature.
References
- Kosuge, T. (1979). Descriptions of new species of Latiaxis (Mollusca: Gastropoda) from the Indo-Pacific. Bulletin of the Institute of Malacology, Tokyo, 1(3): 97‑104.
- MolluscaBase (2023). Babelomurex depressispiratus (Kosuge, 1979). Accessed through: World Register of Marine Species at https://www.marinespecies.org/aphia.php?p=taxdetails&id=XXXXX (date of access).
- Houart, R., Kilburn, R. N., & Marais, A. P. (2010). Muricidae (Murex, rock shells). In: Marais, A. P. & Seccombe, A. (eds), Identification guide to the seashells of South Africa. 376–390.
Notes
- The information provided reflects data available in peer‑reviewed taxonomic literature and reputable marine species databases up to July 2026.
- No subspecies or significant taxonomic revisions have been published for Babelomurex depressispiratus since its original description.
