Amaea magnifica
(G. B. Sowerby II, 1844)
Description:
Dimensions range from 40.4 mm - 115 mm high and 17.8 mm - 32.4 mm wide.
Width to height ratio: 0.44:1 ~ 0.28:1
Shell: large, elongated, pyramidal; medium to large. Exterior colour white, may be faintly tinged purple or tawny brown. About 10 whorls, increasing slowly, rounded, distinct. Suture deep. Imperforate. Costae are arched, inequidistant, no varices on the upper whorls, few on the last whorls. Occasional varix appearing randomly on the shell. Intercostal spaces with strong spiral striae creating a cancellate pattern where they intersect the costae. Columella slightly twisted. Aperture partly auriform. Operculum pale yellowish.
Distribution:
China; Korean Peninsula [NIBR National Institute of Biological Resources, 2019:327]; Japan south to the China Sea [Nakayama, 2003:11]; Taiwan [Huang & Lee, 2016:14]; Vietnam [Hylleberg & Kilburn, 2003:67]; Singapore [Tan & Woo, 2010:40]. Nakayama [2003:11] also cites the Red Sea as part of the species' range; however, no other documented evidence has been located to support this claim.
Habitat:
Offshore in fairly shallow water 20-200m, sandy substrate [Nakayama, 2003:11 and Higo et al., 1999].
Etymology:
[latin] from magnificus = magnificent, splendid, presumably referring to the species' impressive or splendid appearance; the derivation was not explicitly stated by the author.
Murrell, T. (2025).
Dredged from 108m [60 fthms]
30 miles north of Jaiding District, Taiwan.
102.7mm.
Distribution
as listed in source literature
Type Material:
Sowerby [Sowerby, 1844:102] comments the illustration provided by Chemnitz [1795:152, pl. 195a, fig. 1786 &1877] as Turbo principalis, is actually Amaea magnifica. This is also mentioned by other authors [Reeve, 1873:unpaginated; Tryon, 1887:78; and Brown & Neville, 2015:99].
The following list brings together type material and other cited specimens as reported in the sources examined, grouped under the names and designations used in each source. The same specimen may appear in multiple entries drawn from different sources. Some entries concern other species included by authors for comparison; inclusion in this list does not imply synonymy.
Amaea magnifica (G. B. Sowerby II, 1844)TypeChina. [Nakayama, 2003: 11].Type designation not provided in text/ source document'China Sea', [Higo et al., 1999: G1832].Type not locatedChina. [Brown & Neville, 2015: 99].
Chemnitz, J. H. (1795).
Shown in text as Turbo principalis
pp: 152.
Translation: Unfortunately, however much I have looked around for them, I have only been able to bring together four species of moon snails, of which I here present the small catalogue.
Pl. 195. A. Figs. 1876, 1877. The excellent moon snail. Turbo principalis.
Plate 195a. Fig. 1877.
Plate 195a. Fig. 1876.
Sowerby, G. B. II. (1844).
Plate xxxiv. Fig. 103.
pp: 102.
Original Description
Translation: "shell elongated, imperforate, encircled with raised spiral lines, one larger line at the lower part of the whorls, with somewhat numerous, ventricose whorls, raised near the suture; suture deep; very rare varices, numerous small raised lines; colour white, very faintly tinged with purple and tawny."
Reeve, L. A. (1873).
Plate ii. Fig. 10.
Translation: "Magnificent species, elongated,
slightly ribbed, whitish, with numerous fine, raised ridges, rounded, distinct; with spiral ribs and concentric, chambered spaces in between: upper whorls without large angulations, lower whorls with rare, arched, uneven angulations; aperture narrow, columella slightly twisted."
Tryon, G.W. (1887).
Shown in text as Scalaria magnifica G. B. Sowerby II, 1844
Plate 16. Fig. 16.
pp: 78.
Clessin, S. (1897).
Plate 5. Fig. 2.
pp: 19.
Translation: "Shell large, elongated, pyramidal, whitish; numerous whorls increasing slowly, rounded, distinct; interspaces latticed with strong spiral ribs and concentric striae; no varices on the upper whorls, few on the last whorls, arched and irregularly spaced; aperture somewhat auriform, columella slightly twisted."
Murrell, T. (2025).