''Clanculus cruciatus'' is a

species In biology, a species is the basic unit of classification and a taxonomic rank of an organism, as well as a unit of biodiversity. A species is often defined as the largest group of organisms in which any two individuals of the appropriate s ...

of sea snail, a marine gastropod

mollusk Mollusca is the second-largest phylum of invertebrate animals after the Arthropoda, the members of which are known as molluscs or mollusks (). Around 85,000 extant species of molluscs are recognized. The number of fossil species is e ...

in the

family Family (from la, familia) is a group of people related either by consanguinity (by recognized birth) or affinity (by marriage or other relationship). The purpose of the family is to maintain the well-being of its members and of society. Idea ...

Trochidae The Trochidae, common name top-snails or top-shells, are a family of various sized sea snails, marine gastropod molluscs in the subclass Vetigastropoda. This family is commonly known as the top-snails because in many species the shell resemb ...

, the top snails.

Description

The size of the shell varies between 6 mm and 10 mm. The narrowly umbilicate shell has a globose-conic shape with a conic

spire A spire is a tall, slender, pointed structure on top of a roof of a building or tower, especially at the summit of church steeples. A spire may have a square, circular, or polygonal plan, with a roughly conical or pyramidal shape. Spires a ...

and an acute

apex The apex is the highest point of something. The word may also refer to: Arts and media Fictional entities * Apex (comics), a teenaged super villainess in the Marvel Universe * Ape-X, a super-intelligent ape in the Squadron Supreme universe *Apex, ...

. It is pinkish, dark brown, blackish or pink, radiately maculated with white below the sutures, and dotted with white around the center of the base. The 5 to 6 whorls are convex and separated by canaliculate sutures, and spirally granose-lirate. The body whorl is rounded, and encircled by about 13 lirae. Those above the periphery are granulose, about as wide as the interstices, those beneath more separated and smoother. The interstices are finely spirally striate. The base of the shell is convex. The oblique

aperture In optics, an aperture is a hole or an opening through which light travels. More specifically, the aperture and focal length of an optical system determine the cone angle of a bundle of rays that come to a focus in the image plane. An ...

is subcircular. The outer and basal

lip The lips are the visible body part at the mouth of many animals, including humans. Lips are soft, movable, and serve as the opening for food intake and in the articulation of sound and speech. Human lips are a tactile sensory organ, and can be ...

s are rounded and finely crenulate within. The

columella Lucius Junius Moderatus Columella (; Arabic: , 4 – ) was a prominent writer on agriculture in the Roman Empire. His ' in twelve volumes has been completely preserved and forms an important source on Roman agriculture, together with the wo ...

is slightly concave, bearing a small denticle at its base and above near the insertion. The parietal wall is nearly smooth. The deep umbilicus is narrow, smooth, and white within. It is bordered by a strong smooth or obsoletely crenulated marginal rib, and surrounded by narrow tract of white.H. Pilsbry, Manual of Conchology XI, Academy of Natural Sciences, Philadelphia
(described as ''Trochus cruciatus'')

Distribution

This species occurs in the

Mediterranean Sea The Mediterranean Sea is a sea connected to the Atlantic Ocean, surrounded by the Mediterranean Basin and almost completely enclosed by land: on the north by Western and Southern Europe and Anatolia, on the south by North Africa, and on the ...

References

* Risso A., 1826–1827: ''Histoire naturelle des principales productions de l'Europe Méridionale et particulièrement de celles des environs de Nice et des Alpes Maritimes''; Paris, Levrault, Vol. 1: XII + 448 + 1 carta 826 Vol. 2: VII + 482 + 8 pl. (fiori) ovembre 1827 Vol. 3: XVI + 480 + 14 pl. (pesci) eptembre 1827 Vol. 4: IV + 439 + 12 pl. (molluschi) ovembre 1826 Vol. 5: VIII + 400 + 10 pl. (altri invertebrati) * Payraudeau B. C., 1826: ''Catalogue descriptif et méthodique des Annelides et des Mollusques de l'île de Corse''; Paris pp. 218 + 8 pl * Wood W., 1828: ''Supplement to the Index Testaceologicus or a catalogue of shells, British and foreign''; London, privately published pp. VI + 59 + 8 pl * Aradas A. & Benoit L., 1872–1876: ''Conchigliologia vivente marina della Sicilia''; Atti dell'Accademia Gioenia di Scienze Naturali (3) 6: 1–113 + pl. 1-2

872 Year 872 ( DCCCLXXII) was a leap year starting on Tuesday (link will display the full calendar) of the Julian calendar. Events By place Europe * Sancho III Mitarra (or ''Menditarra'') becomes the founder and first 'king' of the indepe ...

113–226 + pl. 3-4

874 __FORCETOC__ Year 874 ( DCCCLXXIV) was a common year starting on Friday (link will display the full calendar) of the Julian calendar. Events By place Europe * Salomon, duke ('king') of Brittany, is murdered by a faction which includ ...

227–324 + pl. 5 876 * Monterosato T. A. (di), 1880: ''Notizie intorno ad alcune conchiglie delle coste d'Africa''; Bullettino della Società Malacologica Italiana, Pisa 5: 213–233. (1879) * Bucquoy E., Dautzenberg P. & Dollfus G., 1882–1886: ''Les mollusques marins du Roussillon. Tome Ier. Gastropodes.''; Paris, J.B. Baillière & fils * Pallary P., 1900: ''Coquilles marines du littoral du Départment d'Oran''; Journal de Conchyliologie 48 (3): 211–422, pl. 6-8 * Gofas, S.; Le Renard, J.; Bouchet, P. (2001). Mollusca, in: Costello, M.J. et al. (Ed.) (2001). ''European register of marine species: a check-list of the marine species in Europe and a bibliography of guides to their identification.'' Collection Patrimoines Naturels, 50: pp. 180–213

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Clanculus Cruciatus cruciatus Gastropods described in 1758 Taxa named by Carl Linnaeus