Phyllonotus pomum

Geological Range

Late Pliocene to Late Pleistocene; Recent.

Paleogeographic Distribution

Venezuela to northern Florida.

Remarks

For information on the modern distribution of the species, see Malacolog.

First English Description (from Dall, 1889, p. 198-199):

"Habitat. Station 152, Flannegan Passage, in 27 fms., sand, temperature 78° F., one very young specimen, which I have figured.

This species extends its range from the warm water off the coast of North Carolina to Florida, the mainland round to Venezuela, etc., and the Antilles. One of the brightest-colored specimens I have seen came from near Beaufort, N. C. The colors are variable, and I suspect the Murex imperialis from the island of Margarita, West Indies (if not an error for Margarita in the Gulf of California), referred to by Mr. Tryon, is merely a very large, pale, bright-mouthed M. pomum. The typical color of the mouth is pale salmon-color picked out with dark brown, but in some specimens the brown becomes a tolerably lively yellow, and the salmon-color a pale pink, while in still others the mouth is white, especially at inter-varical periods. The number of varices is usually three, but this is not invariable; there may be four, or the number may be irregular. The young shell sometimes looks like a little stumpy Fusus, of a vivid pink. Varices are inconspicuous in the early whorls, which are reticulated, while the nucleus is deep pink, or brown, smooth, small, and about two-whorled. The epidermis of the young shell is quite hispid."

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Synonymous with Murex pomum Gmelin, 1791 (original combination) and Chicoreus pomum.

Stratigraphic Occurrences

Late Pleistocene

Fort Thompson Formation (S. FL)

Jaimanitas Formation (Cuba)

Middle Pleistocene

Bermont Formation (S. FL)

Early Pleistocene

Caloosahatchee Formation (S. FL)

Nashua Formation (N. FL)

Late Pliocene

Mare Formation (Venezuela)

Tamiami Formation (Pinecrest Beds) (S. FL)