Polystira

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Polystira is a genus of sea snails in the family Turridae (the turrids). It was created by Woodring in 1928 for large West Indian turrids. The type species has a complex naming history: the oldest available name is Murex virgo, which is now called Polystira albida, not Pleurotoma albida as once thought.

Polystira snails live along the American continents, mainly in tropical and subtropical waters, with many species in the tropical eastern Pacific. The group shows extensive diversity in the tropics and subtropics, and scientists estimate there are about 100 living Polystira species that have not yet been described.