Babelomurex japonicus
species of mollusc
Babelomurex japonicus, common name the Japanese latiaxis, is a species of sea snail, a marine gastropod mollusc in the family Muricidae, the murex snails or rock snails.
Description
The length of the shell varies between 25 mm and 50 mm.
(Original description in Latin) The shell is fusiform and milk-white, consisting of eight whorls. These whorls are equipped with equal, dense, and narrow ribs that are minutely overlapping, as well as a double row of large scales that occupies the upper part of the whorls. The aperture is ovate. The outer lip is ribbed on the inside, while the columella is very slightly sinuous. The rostrum is straight, and the siphonal canal is open.
With respect to its ribs and scales, this shell is analogous to Babelomurex lischkeanus (Dunker, 1882), but it differs sufficiently to be regarded as a distinct, genuine species. Indeed, it differs not only in having equal, narrower, and higher ribs—which are therefore more clearly defined—but also in possessing a double rather than a single row of large scales occupying the upper part of the whorls. Furthermore, these scales are not smooth, but are striated and minutely serrated on the right side (that is, the back).
The public source identifies “Babelomurex japonicus” as species of mollusc. This brief keeps that definition visible, then builds a research path around Babelomurex, japonicus and species.
Why this record matters
A short description can identify a subject without explaining its stakes. For “Babelomurex japonicus”, the useful work is to connect “species of mollusc” to the records capable of establishing context and consequence.
Datasets, specimens, observations and peer-reviewed methods provide the appropriate test for the technical claims summarized here. The source revision retrieved here is dated May 30, 2026. The linked authority identifier is Q4837738. None of the 0 selected statements returned an explicit reference. The first chronological checks are 1882.
Scientific names, classifications and consensus can change while older terminology persists in catalogues and historical literature. The lead is largely declarative, so disagreement and counter-evidence require a deliberate search beyond the opening account. Authority statements aid reconciliation but still require their own references, qualifiers and ranks to be checked.
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This entry incorporates text from “Babelomurex japonicus” on English Wikipedia. Contributors are listed in the page history. Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 License. Selected authority identifiers and statements are retrieved from Wikidata under CC0; their references and qualifiers remain part of the verification path.