Babelomurex cariniferus (Sowerby, 1834)
N. Spain to Mediterranean, to Angola, Canarias, Cabo Verde. Predator on sponges in circalittoral grounds, from bottoms as shallow as 3m deep (Lampedusa) down to lower photic zone. The record given by Dautzenberg from 1287m (Pico, Azores, 1887) could indicate a down-slope transported material, and concerns H. squamosus, a species that was often confused with this one.
Original taxon: Murex cariniferus.
Synonyms: babelis, carinata, gravesii…
5m deep, on Cladocora caespitosa (Linnaeus, 1767),
Patras area, NW. Peloponnese, W. Greece. 28mm.
The first drawings of the species in G. B. Sowerby.
Left: Murex cariniferus in The conchological illustrations.
Right: Latiaxis cariniferus in Thesaurus conchyliorum vol. V.
Thesaurus conchyliorum: « Testa quam L. Deburghiae brevior latior, liris spiralibus rugoso-prominentibus, undulatis, laminis extantibus and angulum brevioribus. — The form is shorter, the crowning laminae shorter and the spiral ridges much more prominent and undulating. »

Above and below: specimens from Evia island, E. Greece.
Original pictures provided by A. Nappo (IT).
– (CC BY-NC-SA) –
Coralliophila babelis in W. Kobelt: Iconographie der schalentragenden europäischen Meeresconchylien Bd.1, Cassel 1887, via BHL.
 
« Testa fusiformis, medio subinflata, spira acuta, exserta, cauda crassiuscula, brevi, recurva, aperte umbilicata. Anfractus 8-9, supremi convexiusculi, transverse plicati, sequentes minus conspicue plicati, angulati, ad angulum serie spinarum cingulati, squamis erectis, latis, triangularibus ascendentibus, interdum margine serrato vel laciniato; spiraliter confertim lirati, liris elevatis elegantissime imbricatis, quarum 7-8 super angulum positis minoribus; umbilicus crista valida circumdatus. Apertura parva, ovata, in canalem angustum parum breviorem recurvum desinens, columella strictiuscula callosa, margine dextro acuto, denticulato, intus mox incrassato et liris 6-8 armato. Lutescente-albida, apertura alba vel rosacea. »
Similar to the specimens pictured in Kobelt, this one was found in the upper infralittoral of the Punta de la Mona, La Herradura, Granada, Andalucia, S. Spain. 29,1mm.
Original pictures provided by A. Nappo (IT).
– (CC BY-NC-SA) –

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