''Athleta (Ternivoluta) studeri'' 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 Volutidae, the volutes. There are two subspecies: * ''Athleta (Ternivoluta) studeri studeri'' (Martens, 1897) * ''Athleta (Ternivoluta) studeri swainensis'' Bail & limpus, 1998

Description

Shell elongately fusiform with a high gradate spire and rounded body whorl tapering gently to the anterior canal. Sutural groove narrow but forming a prominent shoulder on the adult whorls. No sutural nodules. Thin axial costae present only on the first whorl, absent from the succeeding whorls. Shoulder nodules developed on the costae and persisting to the adult whorls but irregularly developed and much reduced in size. Spiral lirae weakly developed and confined to the anterior portion of the body whorl. Four major and three or four minor plaits. Colour pattern of thin axial chestnut bands and three interrupted thicker spiral bands on the body whorl, one of which is also present on the spire.
This species attains a size of 52 mm.

Distribution

This marine species occurs off Eastern Australia.

References

* Bail, P & Poppe, G. T. 2001. ''A conchological iconography: a taxonomic introduction of the recent Volutidae''. Hackenheim-Conchbook, 30 pp, 5 pl. (updated October 2008 for WoRMS) Volutidae Gastropods described in 1897 {{Volutidae-stub