Neptunea lyrata, also known by the New England Neptune, wrinkled whelk, ribbed Neptune, inflated whelk, lyre whelk or lyre Neptune, is a species of large sea snail, a marine gastropod mollusk in the family Buccinidae, and is the state shell of Massachusetts. This species consists of several subspecies.
The New England Neptune ( Neptunea lyrata decemcostata) was declared the state seashell of Massachusetts in 1987.
Subspecies
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Neptunea lyrata altispira
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Neptunea lyrata lyrata Gmelin, 1791 - lyre whelk
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Neptunea lyrata decemcostata (Thomas Say, 1826)
[Thomas Say (1826). "Descriptions of marine shells recently discovered on the coast of the United States". Journal of the Academy of Natural Sciences of Philadelphia 5: 207-221.] – wrinkled whelk or New England Neptune – synonyms:[ Neptunea lyrata decemcostata (Say, 1826). Malacolog Version 4.1.1. A Database of Western Atlantic Marine Mollusca. Accessed 13 December 2009.] Chrysodomus decemcostata (Say, 1826); Tritonium decemcostata (Say, 1826); Fusus decemcostatus Say, 1826; Neptunea turnerae Clarke, 1956
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Neptunea lyrata turnerae Clarke, 1956
Distribution
Neptunea lyrata occurs in the Western
Atlantic Ocean, and also off
Alaska.
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