Timbellus bednalli

Timbellus bednalli
Lateral view of a shell of Timbellus bednalli
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Mollusca
Class:	Gastropoda
Subclass:	Caenogastropoda
Order:	Neogastropoda
Family:	Muricidae
Genus:	Timbellus
Species:	T. bednalli
Binomial name
Timbellus bednalli (Brazier, 1878)
Synonyms
Murex bednalli Brazier, 1878(basionym) Murex trigonularis Lamarck, 1822 Pterynotus bednalli (Brazier, 1878)

Timbellus bednalli, common name Bednall's murex, is a species of sea snail, a marine gastropod mollusk in the family Muricidae, the rock snails or murex snails. the rock snails or murex snails. This species is endemic to the waters of Northern and Western Australia, where it is typically found in sublittoral zones on rocky or coral substrates. The shell of T. bednalli is noted for its elegant and complex architecture, characterized by three prominent, wing-like longitudinal varix (frills) on each whorl. These delicate, leaf-like expansions are a hallmark of the genus Timbellus and serve as both structural reinforcement and potential defense against predators.

Description

The shell typically reaches a length of approximately 60 mm to 85 mm and exhibits a coloration ranging from creamy white to pale brown, often with subtle darker banding. As a carnivorous gastropod, it utilizes its specialized radula to bore into the shells of other mollusks or barnacles. The species was named in honor of William Thomas Bednall, a prominent 19th-century South Australian naturalist and malacologist who contributed significantly to the documentation of Australian marine fauna.

Distribution

This species is found along North and West Australia.

References

• Merle D., Garrigues B. & Pointier J.-P. (2011) Fossil and Recent Muricidae of the world. Part Muricinae. Hackenheim: Conchbooks. 648 pp. page(s): 133

External links

• "Pterynotus (Pterynotus) bednalli". Gastropods.com. Retrieved 10 April 2011.