Turris babylonia

Turris babylonia, common name: the Babylon turrid or tower turrid, is a species of sea snail, a marine gastropod mollusk in the family Turridae, the turrids.

Synonyms

 * Lophiotoma babylonia (Linnaeus, 1758)
 * Murex babylonius Linne, 1758
 * Pleurotoma babylonia Linnaeus, 1758
 *  Pleurotoma raffrayi Tapparone-Canefri, C.E., 1878
 * Turris assyria Olivera, Seronay & Fedosov, 2010
 * Turris imperfecti Röding, 1798
 * Turris nobilis Röding, 1798
 * Turris pulchra Röding, 1798
 * Turris tornatum Röding, 1798

Distribution
This species occurs in the Pacific Ocean off the Philippines, Indonesia, the Solomon Islands, Papua New Guinea, Timor; in the Indian Ocean off Mauritius and the Mascarene Basin.

Description
The size of an adult shell varies between 63 mm and 100 mm. The shell shows somewhat angular whorls, caused by the greater prominence of one of the revolving ribs. Its sculpture shows large revolving ribs, with intermediate raised lines. The color of the shell is whitish, with large dark brown or nearly black spots upon the ribs.

Habitat
These tropical benthic gastropods can be found in subtidal zone on rocks and sand.

Biology
Embryos of Turris babylonia develop into free-swimming planktonic marine larvae (trochophore) and later into juvenile veligers. Adults feed on marine worms chased by means of their venom, similarly to the cone snails.