Nassaria


Nassaria is a genus of sea snails, marine gastropod molluscs in the subfamily Tomliniinae of the family Nassariidae.

Taxonomy

This genus was treated within family Buccinidae. It was moved to family Nassariidae in 2016.

Type species

The issue regarding type species of the genus Nassaria Link, 1807 is confusing. Cernohorsky and Fraussen assume “Nassaria lyrata Link, 1807”. Considering other instances in Link, this latter name is expected to represent a new combination for Buccinum lyratum Gmelin, 1791, not as a separately available new taxon. Link’s original reference reads “N. lyrata. L. G. p. 3494. M.C. 4, t. 122, f. 1122, 1123“ .
Nevertheless, as pointed out by Mörch, MacNeil, and others, the two cited references are inconsistent. Gmelin’s Buccinum lyratum is introduced on pp. 3494–3495, and currently considered as a synonym of Boreotrophon clathratus whereas the reference to Martini & Chemnitz, vol. 4, t. 122, f. 1122, 1123 matches Buccinum album Gmelin, 1791, described on page 3495 with reference to the same figures. The vernacular name “Fischreuseschnecken” used by Link matches “Fischreuse” used by Martini & Chemnitz for f. 1122, 1123, indicating that the latter was the species really intended. This is the rationale for the current interpretation, where Nassaria lyrata Link, 1807 is considered an available name based on Martini & Chemnitz f. 1122, 1123 and objective junior synonym of Buccinum album Gmelin, 1791.

Description

The shell is ovately fusiform. The spire is acuminated. The whorls are longitudinally ribbed and cancellated. The aperture ends anteriorly in a long recurved siphonal canal. The inner lip is thin, circumscribed and transversely corrugately plicated. The outer lip is grooved internally.

Species

Species within the genus Nassaria include:
;Species brought into synonymy :