Comparative taxonomic evaluation of <i>Thais </i> species (Order: Gastropoda; Family: Muricidae) of Mollusca from Maharashtra coast of India

Abstract

Based on shell morphology alone, it was difficult to differentiate the species belonging to genus <i>Thais </i> because of large amount of plasticity, observed in the shell characters. The colour of the shells was poorly defined as species identifying character in <i>Thais</i> species. The morphometric and meristic characters of the shell along with radular characters can solve the taxonomic ambiguities in <i>Thais</i> species (<i>Thais lacera</i>; <i> T. blanfordi</i>; <i> T. tissoti</i>; <i> T. rudolphi</i>;<i> T. bufo and T. subnodulosa</i>). The radular morphology was found to be different in each species except in <i>T. rudolphi</i> and <i>T. blanfordi </i> and hence these two species were differentiated based on radular morphology where the first denticle on outer base of the lateral cusp was smaller than other five denticles in <i>T. rudolphi</i> but in <i>T. blanfordi</i>, all were same in size. A deep ‘V’ shaped notch was present between inner denticle base of lateral cusp and central cusp in <i>T. blanfordi, </i> which was found to be a species specific character.