''Asperdaphne versivestita'' is a species of

sea snail Sea snail is a common name for slow-moving marine gastropod molluscs, usually with visible external shells, such as whelk or abalone. They share the taxonomic class Gastropoda with slugs, which are distinguished from snails primarily by the ...

, a marine

gastropod The gastropods (), commonly known as snails and slugs, belong to a large taxonomic class of invertebrates within the phylum Mollusca called Gastropoda (). This class comprises snails and slugs from saltwater, from freshwater, and from land. T ...

mollusk in the family

Raphitomidae Raphitomidae is a family of small to medium-sized sea snails, marine gastropod mollusks in the superfamily Conoidea.Bouchet P. & Rocroi J.-P. (Ed.) (2005). "Classification and nomenclator of gastropod families". '' Malacologia'' 47(1-2). . 3 ...

Description

The shell attains a length of 25 mm, its diameter 9 mm. (Original description) The large, rather thin shell is elongate conic. The earlier whorls are angled, the last rounded. The colour of the shell is cream wiih a few irregularly scattered pale brown spots. It contains 9

whorl A whorl ( or ) is an individual circle, oval, volution or equivalent in a whorled pattern, which consists of a spiral or multiple concentric objects (including circles, ovals and arcs). Whorls in nature File:Photograph and axial plane floral ...

s, including a two-whorled

protoconch A protoconch (meaning first or earliest or original shell) is an embryonic or larval shell which occurs in some classes of molluscs, e.g., the initial chamber of an ammonite or the larval shell of a gastropod. In older texts it is also called ...

. The minute turbinate protoconch is finely spirally grooved. In contrast to this the first adult whorl appears with a broad shoulder, beneath which are two conspicuous keels. Fresh spirals arise by intercalation on the subsequent whorls, till alternately larger and smaller, they amount to sixteen on the penultimate. Behind the aperture are about twenty-eight spiral cords of various sizes, sometimes with minor threads in their interstices. On the second mature whorl, nine prominent radial ribs arise, undulating the keels. After increasing to eleven and maintaining their relative prominence for several whorls, the ribs commence to fade on the antepenultimate, they disappear from the

body whorl The body whorl is part of the morphology of the shell in those gastropod mollusks that possess a coiled shell. The term is also sometimes used in a similar way to describe the shell of a cephalopod mollusk. In gastropods In gastropods, the b ...

. About the penultimate and body whorl, equal radials and spirals produce by intersection an evenly beaded surface. The anal fasciole occupies a shelf on the summit of the whorl and is sculptured by crescentic threads. The aperture is ovate. The outer lip is dentate from the revolving sculpture. The inner lip shows a thin callus, at the posterior angle a slight sinus. The

siphonal canal The siphonal canal is an anatomical feature of the shells of certain groups of sea snails within the clade Neogastropoda. Some sea marine gastropods have a soft tubular anterior extension of the mantle called a siphon through which water is ...

is short and broad. Hedley, C. 1912. Descriptions of some new or noteworthy shells in the Australian Museum. Records of the Australian Museum 8: 131-160

Distribution

This marine species is endemic to Australia and occurs off New South Wales

References

* Laseron, C. 1954. ''Revision of the New South Wales Turridae (Mollusca)''. Australian Zoological Handbook. Sydney : Royal Zoological Society of New South Wales pp. 56, pls 1–12.

External links

Hedley, C. 1922. A revision of the Australian Turridae. Records of the Australian Museum 13(6): 213-359, pls 42-56
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Gastropods.com: ''Asperdaphne (Asperdaphne) versivestita''

{{DEFAULTSORT:Asperdaphne Versivestita versivestita Gastropods described in 1912 Gastropods of Australia