Nucella squamosa
{{Short description|Species of gastropod}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=February 2021}}
{{Speciesbox
| image = Nucella_squamosa_01.JPG
| image_caption = Five views of a shell of Nucella squamosa (Lamarck, 1816)
| taxon = Nucella squamosa
| authority = (Lamarck, 1816)
| synonyms = Purpura clathrata Blainville, 1832
Purpura clathrata Kuster, 1859
Purpura ovalis Blainville, 1832
Purpura squamosa Lamarck, 1816
Purpura squamulosa Gray, 1839
Thais sculpturata Turton, 1932
Thais subglobosa Turton, 1932
}}
Nucella squamosa, common name the scaly dogwhelk, is a species of sea snail, a marine gastropod mollusk in the family Muricidae, the murex snails or rock snails.{{WRMS species|225334|Nucella squamosa (Lamarck, 1816)||24 April 2010}}
Description
Image:commensal hydroid7.jpgThe scaly dogwhelk is a small brown whelk with many fine knobbly spiral ridges on its shell. It grows up to 5 cm in total length. The ridges of the snail's shell are not often visible because the whelk is usually overgrown by the high-spined commensal hydroid, Hydtractinia altispina, which looks prickly and is orange.Branch, G.M., Branch, M.L, Griffiths, C.L. and Beckley, L.E. 2010. Two Oceans: a guide to the marine life of southern Africa. {{ISBN|978-1-77007-772-0}}.
Distribution
This marine snail is found off the southern African coast from central Namibia to Port St Johns, subtidally to 50m under water.
Ecology
The eggs are laid in small groups of capsules which resemble stalked clubs. The commensal hydroid deters several of the snail's predators.
References
{{Commons category|Nucella squamosa}}
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