Shell · Genus
Harpa
Harp shells
Harp shells (Harpa) are glossy, ribbed snails with strong axial ribs like the strings of a harp and rich brown-and-cream patterns; Harpa major, H. harpa and the rarer H. costata are the collector species. They are moderately priced and are prized for pattern and gloss. Fossil harps are rare.
| Habitat | Sand bottoms, shallow tropical water |
|---|---|
| Regions | Indo-Pacific, Red Sea, Eastern Pacific |
| Family | Harpidae |
| Authority (WoRMS) | Röding, 1798· WoRMS / MolluscaBase |
| Status (WoRMS) | accepted· WoRMS / MolluscaBase |
| Classification (WoRMS) | Animalia › Mollusca › Gastropoda › Neogastropoda › Harpidae· WoRMS / MolluscaBase |
CITES and protection
Not CITES-listed.
Care (Byne's disease)
Glossy aragonitic shells; keep in inert storage.
Photographs
Elsewhere
- WoRMS AphiaID: 205853
- Wikidata: Q146930
- WoRMS / MolluscaBase record
- Wikipedia: Harpa
- CITES Appendices
Cite this article
Stratum Strata. "Harpa" (Shell family). Stratum Strata pack 2026.09, as of 2026-09-21. https://stratum.black/strata/shells/harpa. Accessed 2026-09-21.
@misc{stratum-harpa,
title = {Harpa},
author = {{Stratum Strata}},
howpublished = {\url{https://stratum.black/strata/shells/harpa}},
year = {2026},
note = {Shell family article, Stratum Strata pack 2026.09, as of 2026-09-21; sources: stratum, worms, wikidata, commons, smithsonian. Accessed 2026-09-21.}
} Citations carry the pack version and the article's as-of date so they resolve to the same text later. The facts themselves belong to the sources listed below; cite those for the science.