Atlantic triton's trumpet
Charonia variegata
(Lamarck, 1816)

Description:
The shell has a long conical spire, sharply pointed, and without any knobs. The coloring is variegated in shades ranging from white via cream and yellow to brown. The tentacles are yellow with black bands. The color of the living animal is mottled in shades of yellow to brown.
Size: the shell can reach up to 30 cm.

Habitat:
It lives in the sandy bottoms around reefs. During the day it hides in crevices.
Depth: ranges from 6 m down to 20 m.

Distribution:
Occasional all over the Caribbean.

Remarks:
In most countries it is illegal to bring back these shells from holidays.

Kingdom Animalia
Phylum Mollusca
Class Gastropoda
Subclass Prosobranchia
Genus Charonia
Species Charonia variegata

Status in World Register of Marine Species

Accepted name: Charonia variegata (Lamarck, 1816)

Scientific synonyms and common names

Atlantic triton's trumpet [English]
Triton's shell [English]
Murex tritonis auct. non Linnaeus, 1758
Triton variegatus Lamarck, 1816
Tritonia atlantica Bowdich, 1822
Tritonium sulcatum Risso, 1826
Triton nobilis Conrad, 1848
Tritonium seguenzae Aradas & Benoit, 1871
Triton commutatus Kobelt, 1876

Humann, P., 1992. Reef Creature Identification - Florida Caribbean Bahamas, (ed. N. Deloach). New World Publications, Inc., Paramount Miller Graphics, Inc., Jacksonville, Florida.

You can continue searching for Charonia variegata on one of these Web sites:

Fauna Europaea (animals) | IOPI (plants) | NCBI (genetic)

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