Mitra is a large genus of medium to large predatory sea snails, marine gastropod mollusks in the family Mitridae, the miter shells or mitre snails.
This genus is named after the ecclesiastical headgear, the miter, because of the shells' general shape.
These sea snails create shells that are considered attractive by shell collectors; the shells are solid, high-spired and are often colorful.
Contents
Description
The thick shell has a fusiform shape. The spire is elevated and acute at the apex. The aperture is small, narrow and notched in front. The columella is obliquely plicate. The outer lip is thickene and is smooth internally.
Species
Many species that were previously in the genus Mitra have been reassigned in the past years to other genera, including Calcimitra, Gemmulimitra, Isara, Nebularia, Neotiara, Pseudonebularia, Quasimitra, Roseomitra, Strigatella and Vexillum. According to the World Register of Marine Species, the following species with accepted names are currently included within the genus Mitra:
Mitra abbatis Perry, 1811
Mitra deprofundis Turner, 2001
Mitra filius Melvill, 1925
Mitra fortis Melvill, 1925
† Mitra hectori Hutton, 1905
Mitra inca d'Orbigny, 1841
Mitra marciae G. B. Sowerby III, 1913 (uncertain)
Mitra mitraLinnaeus, 1758
Mitra papalis (Linnaeus, 1758)
Mitra stictica (Link, 1807)
† Mitra subscrobiculata d'Orbigny, 1852
Mitra turgida Reeve, 1845
Species in this genus also include:
Mitra saldanha Matthews & Rios, 1970
Taxa inquirenda
Mitra clara G. B. Sowerby II, 1874
Mitra fergusoni G. B. Sowerby II, 1874
Mitra minor G. B. Sowerby II, 1874
Mitra nasuta G. B. Sowerby II, 1874
Mitra novaehollandiae G. B. Sowerby II, 1874
Mitra radula G. B. Sowerby II, 1874
Mitra semiconica G. B. Sowerby II, 1874
Mitra subrostrata G. B. Sowerby II, 1874
Mitra tenuilirata G. B. Sowerby II, 1874
Mitra trunculus G. B. Sowerby II, 1874
Mitra umbonata G. B. Sowerby II, 1870
Synonyms
Mitra acutilirata G. B. Sowerby II, 1874: synonym of Subcancilla annulata (Reeve, 1844)
Mitra albozonata W. H. Turton, 1932: synonym of Quasimitra latruncularia (Reeve, 1844)
Mitra ansulata G. B. Sowerby II, 1874: synonym of Vexillum histrio (Reeve, 1844)
Mitra arctata G. B. Sowerby II, 1874: synonym of Pterygia arctata (G. B. Sowerby II, 1874)
Mitra arracanensis G. B. Sowerby II, 1874: synonym of Vexillum cithara (Reeve, 1845)
Mitra articulata Reeve, 1845: synonym of Vexillum articulatum (Reeve, 1845)
Mitra aubryana Hervier, 1897: synonym of Vexillum fortiplicatum (Pease, 1868)
Mitra australis Swainson, 1820: synonym of Turriplicifer australis (Swainson, 1820)
Mitra bifasciata Swainson, 1822: synonym of Vexillum caffrum (Linnaeus, 1758)
Mitra brasiliensi] Oliveira, 1869: synonym of Neotiara nodulosa (Gmelin, 1791)
Mitra cernica G. B. Sowerby II, 1874: synonym of Thala cernica (G. B. Sowerby II, 1874)
Mitra cineracea Reeve, 1845: synonym of Vexillum leucozonias (Deshayes, 1833)
Mitra crassicostata G. B. Sowerby II, 1874: synonym of Strigatella crassicostata (G. B. Sowerby II, 1874)
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Mitra cretacea G. B. Sowerby II, 1874: synonym of Nebularia pellisserpentis (Reeve, 1844)
