Mitra (gastropod)
| Mitra | |
|---|---|
| A drawing of a live individual of Mitra mitra showing its long proboscis | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Domain: | Eukaryota |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Mollusca |
| Class: | Gastropoda |
| Subclass: | Caenogastropoda |
| Order: | Neogastropoda |
| Family: | Mitridae |
| Subfamily: | Mitrinae |
| Genus: | Mitra Lamarck, 1798 |
| Type species | |
| Mitra mitra (Linnaeus, 1758) | |
| Species | |
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See text | |
| Synonyms | |
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Mitra is a large genus of medium to large predatory sea snails, marine gastropod mollusks in the family Mitridae, the miter shells or mitre snails.
This genus is named after the ecclesiastical headgear, the miter, because of the shells' general shape.
These sea snails create shells that are considered attractive by shell collectors; the shells are solid, high-spired and are often colorful.