Euthria scepta

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Euthria scepta
Shell of Euthria scepta (holotype at MNHN, Paris)
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Mollusca
Class: Gastropoda
Subclass: Caenogastropoda
Order: Neogastropoda
Family: Tudiclidae
Genus: Euthria
Species:
E. scepta
Binomial name
Euthria scepta
Fraussen & Hadorn, 2003[1]

Euthria scepta is a species of sea snail, a marine gastropod mollusc in the family Buccinidae, the true whelks.[2] Discovered in the deep-water benthos of the South Pacific, this species is endemic to the waters off New Caledonia.[3]

Taxonomy and naming

The species was formally described in 2003 by malacologists Koen Fraussen and Roland Hadorn. The description was based on material collected during French oceanographic expeditions conducted by the Muséum national d'histoire naturelle (MNHN) and the Institut de recherche pour le développement (IRD) to catalogue tropical deep-sea benthos.[4]

The specific epithet scepta is derived from the Latin word sceptus, meaning "descending from the clouds".[5] The holotype specimen (catalogued as MNHN-IM-2000-6829) is permanently housed in the malacology collections of the MNHN in Paris.[6]

Description

The shell of Euthria scepta attains a maximum length of 27.2 mm.[1] Like other members of the genus Euthria, the shell morphology is adapted to a deep benthic marine environment.

Distribution and habitat

This marine species occurs exclusively off New Caledonia, with specific concentrations in the southern marine sectors including the Île des Pins.[5] The original paratype material was dredged by the French research vessel Vauban in September 1986.[7]

References

  1. Fraussen, K.; Hadorn, R. (2003). "Six new Buccinidae (Mollusca: Gastropoda) from New Caledonia" (PDF). Novapex. 4 (2–3): 33–50.
  2. "Euthria scepta Fraussen & Hadorn, 2003". World Register of Marine Species. Retrieved 17 April 2010.
  3. "Euthria scepta Fraussen & Hadorn, 2003". Global Biodiversity Information Facility. Retrieved 13 May 2026.
  4. Bouchet, P.; Héros, V.; Lozouet, P.; Maestrati, P. (2008). "A quarter-century of deep-sea malacological exploration in the South and West Pacific". In Héros, V.; Cowie, R.H.; Bouchet, P. (eds.). Tropical Deep-Sea Benthos 25. Mémoires du Muséum national d'Histoire naturelle 196. Paris: Muséum national d'Histoire naturelle. pp. 9–40. ISBN 978-2-85653-614-8.
  5. "WoRMS source details: Fraussen & Hadorn. 2003. Novapex 4 (2–3): 33–50". World Register of Marine Species. Retrieved 13 May 2026.
  6. "Holotype: Euthria scepta Fraussen & Hadorn, 2003". Muséum national d’Histoire naturelle. MNHN, Paris. Retrieved 13 May 2026.
  7. "Marine snail, Euthria scepta Fraussen & Hadorn, 2002". Collections Online. Museum of New Zealand Te Papa Tongarewa. Retrieved 13 May 2026.