1 2 Relevant Synonyms Fusus marmoratus Philippi, 1846 Fusinus marmoratus (Philippi, 1846) Misidentification Fusus tuberculatus Lamarck, 1822 [Moazzo, 1939]  1- drawing: Tuvia Kurz 2- photo: S. Gofas / Coll. G. Spada

SHORT DESCRIPTION Shell spindle shaped, with 7-8 whorls, rounded or with a slight to moderate keel. Body whorl large, with a long, straight siphonal canal. Sculpture of coarse, irregular spiral cords and loose axial folds. Aperture ovate, with outer lip simple. color : whitish with more or less conspicuous axial brown streaks; the spiral cord running along the keel or mid-whorl usually paler. common size : 80-100 mm. DISTINGUISHING CHARACTERISTICS This species is larger than the native Fusinus rostratus (Olivi, 1792), has a stouter outline and a more open canal. Fusinus syracusanus (Linnaeus, 1758) has more definite, straight axial folds and a shorter canal. BIOLOGY / ECOLOGY Unknown. habitat : usually reported from shallow water, on sandy or mixed bottoms.

1st Mediterranean record Port Said, Egypt, 1905 [no collecting date]. DISTRIBUTION Worldwide: only known from the Gulf of Suez and Gulf of Aqaba, Red Sea; extremely common in the Suez Canal (Tillier and Bavay, 1905, as Fusus marmoratus); there is a similar species, Fusinus australis (Quoy and Gaimard, 1839) in southern Australia, but the large disjunction should suggest that it should be different. Mediterranean: recorded first from Port Said, Egypt, as Fusus marmoratus (Tillier and Bavay, 1905), later from Israel (Haas, 1937). ESTABLISHMENT SUCCESS Rare. speculated reasons for success : - MODE OF INTRODUCTION Via the Suez Canal. IMPORTANCE TO HUMANS Moazzo (1939) reported that this species is used as seafood along the Suez Canal.

KEY REFERENCES Haas G., 1937. Mollusca marina. In: Bodenheimer F.S. (ed.) Prodromus faunae Palestinae, Essai sur les éléments zoogéographiques et historiques du sud-ouest du sous-règne Paléarctique. Mémoires présentés à l'Institut d'Egypte, 33: 275-280. Moazzo P.G., 1939. Mollusques testacés marins du Canal de Suez. Mémoires de l'Institut d'Egypte, 38: 1-283, pl. 1-14 + frontispice, maps 1-4. [Fusus tuberculatus pp. 148-149]. Tillier L. and Bavay A., 1905. Les mollusques testacés du Canal de Suez. Bulletin de la Société Zoologique de France, 30: 170-181.   FEEDBACK / COMMENTS TO AUTHORS

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