Stromboidea

• Strombidae
  • Terestrombus
    • Terestrombus fragilis (Röding, 1798)

Original Description of Lambis fragilis by Röding, 1798, p. 62:

• "L. Fragilis. Die zerbrechliche Flügelschnecke. Gmel. Strombus tridentatus sp. 30. Chemn. 10 t. 157. f. 1503. 3 St."

Locus typicus: Röding gave no locality. Abbott, 1960 designated Zamboanga, Mindanao Island, Zamboanga Peninsula Region, Philippines as type locality.

History and Synonymy

Terestrombus fragilis (Röding, 1798: 62) (Lambis)

• Syn.: Strombus bulbulus Sowerby 2nd, 1842: 32, pl. 9 figs 81-83
• Syn.: Strombus dubius Swainson, 1823a: 375 [non Strombus dubius Solander in Brander, 1766, nec Strombus dubius Sowerby, 1842, nec Strombus dubius Kiener, 1843]
• Syn.: Strombus (Canarium) terebellatus Sowerby. Abrard, 1946: 62, pl. 4 fig. 32 [non Strombus terebellatus Sowerby, 1842]

1788

Strombus samar Chemnitz, 1788, pl. 157, fig. 1503

• Comment: cited by Röding, 1798

1844

Strombus bulbulus in Duclos, 1844, pl. 7, fig. 7, 8

Strombus bulbulus in Duclos, 1844, pl. 15, fig. 9, 10

1850

Strombus bulbulus in Reeve, 1850, pl. 6, fig. 8 a, b

• "Image courtesy Biodiversity Heritage Library. http://www.biodiversitylibrary.org"

Reports

Jeannette & Scott Johnson about Terestrombus fragilis from Kwajalein Atoll:

• "Terestrombus fragilis is uncommonly seen alive, but it must at times be quite common in some areas. When parts of the lagoon bottom at Kwajalein were dredged some years ago to extend the island, many T. fragilis shells were dredged along with the sand and rubble. Empty shells are also often seen on deep lagoon shipwrecks, so they may be more common in the deeper lagoon. Nowadays, we see them in lagoon Halimeda beds and also in piles of rubble along the lagoon reef from about 3m on down. They seem to not occur on the seaward reef at all. Shells range up to about 49mm in length."

All Photos of Kwajalein Atoll-specimens courtesy Scott & Jeanette Johnson, Kwajalein Atoll

Bob Abela about Terestrombus fragilis on Guam

Terestrombus fragilis (Röding, 1798); ~45 ft.; in sand; (A goatfish initially was trying to feed on it.); Outhouse Beach, Apra Harbor, Guam; 11 Aug 2007; photo Bob Abela

Specimens from institutional collections

Strombus (Canarium) terebellatus Abrard, 1947; Pliocene; Nua River, Malekula, Vanuatu Archipelago (formerly New Hebrides), South Pacific Ocean; Coll. MNHN no. A27083; Copyright Museum national d'Histoire naturelle Paris

• misidentification as Strombus (Canarium) terebellatus by Abrard, see Abbott, 1960

Specimens from private collections

Terestrombus fragilis (Röding, 1798); Tonga Archipelago, Polynesia; 30-35 m; 7/2010; Coll. Christian Börnke

• t: Vakaeitu Island; 34 mm, 36 mm
• m: Vava'u Islands group; 37 mm, 35 mm
• b: Euaiki Island; 37 mm

Terestrombus fragilis (Röding, 1798); Mamara Point, Guadalcanal Island, Guadalcanal Province, Solomon Islands, south-western Pacific; on Brown seaweed, at 22 mm; t: 31,9 mm, b: 34,2 mm; Coll. Frank Nolf no. 06623

Terestrombus fragilis (Röding, 1798); yacht club Basin, Apra Harbor, Guam Island, Mariana Islands, Micronesia, USA, North Pacific Ocean; 3/1978; under coral rubble in sand, 5 feet, Scuba; 30,9 mm; Coll. Richard Salisbury

Terestrombus fragilis (Röding, 1798); yacht club Basin, Apra Harbor, Guam Island, Mariana Islands, Micronesia, USA, North Pacific Ocean; 3/1978; under coral rubble in sand, 5 feet, Scuba; 31,0 mm; Coll. Richard Salisbury

Terestrombus fragilis (Röding, 1798); yacht club Basin, Apra Harbor, Guam Island, Mariana Islands, Micronesia, USA, North Pacific Ocean; 3/1978; under coral rubble in sand, 5 feet, Scuba; 24,0 mm; Coll. Richard Salisbury

Photos of living specimens

Terestrombus fragilis (Röding, 1798); subadult; Milne Bay, Papua New Guinea; Photo Andrey Ryanskiy