Engina mendicaria, common name striped engina or bumble bee snail, is a species of sea snail, a marine gastropod mollusk in the family Pisaniidae.
Description
The shell size varies between 10 mm and 20 mm. This shell shows a white or yellowish background with a few transversal black bands and resembles the yellow and black pattern of wasps and bees (hence a common name).
In comparison with other Pacific Engina species, E. mendicaria is relatively smooth, with only the early whorls bearing axial costae. The shell is purplish black and is ornamented with yellow or white transverse bands of varying width. The columella differs from that of other Engina species in being smooth, apart from one to two neat denticles.
Distribution This species occurs in the Red Sea and in the Indian Ocean off Aldabra, Chagos, Kenya, Madagascar, Mauritius, Mozambique, Tanzania, in the tropical Indo-Pacific, Papua New Guinea and Australia (Northern Territory, Queensland, Western Australia).
Specimens are most commonly found under basalt rocks at high tide level.
Habitat These carnivore sea snails live on rocky shores and sand beds. They are mainly nocturnal.
References
Dautzenberg, Ph. (1929). Mollusques testaces marins de Madagascar. Faune des Colonies Francaises, Tome III Kalk, M. (1958). The fauna of the intertidal rocks at Inhaca Island, Delagoa Bay. Ann. Natal Mus. 14: 189–242 Richmond, M. (Ed.) (1997). A guide to the seashores of Eastern Africa and the Western Indian Ocean islands. Sida/Department for Research Cooperation, SAREC: Stockholm, Sweden. . 448 pp. Kilburn R.N., Marais J.P. & Fraussen K. (2010) Buccinidae. Pp. 16-52, in: Marais A.P. & Seccombe A.D. (eds), Identification guide to the seashells of South Africa. Volume 1. Groenkloof: Centre for Molluscan Studies. 376 pp. Dautzenberg P. (1929). Contribution à l'étude de la faune de Madagascar: Mollusca marina testacea. Faune des colonies françaises. [Contribution to the study of the fauna of Madagascar: Mollusca marina testacea. Fauna of the French colonies.]. Société d'Editions Géographiques, Maritimes et Coloniales. 3(4): 321-636, pls 4-7. Paris. Liu, J.Y. [Ruiyu] (ed.). (2008). [Checklist of marine biota of China seas]. China Science Press. 1267 pp.
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