''Inquisitor spicata'' 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

Pseudomelatomidae Pseudomelatomidae is a family of predatory sea snails, marine gastropods included in the superfamily Conoidea (previously Conacea) and part of the Neogastropoda ( Bouchet & Rocroi, 2005). In 1995 Kantor elevated the subfamily Pseudomelatomina ...

Description

The length of the shell attains 16 mm, its diameter 5.5 mm. (Original description) The solid shell has a lanceolate shape and contains 10

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. Its colour is uniform dull white. Sculpture :—Except where interrupted by the spirals, the shell is overrun by very close microscopic radial lamellae, a series of which rise along the suture and curl into arched scales. These crown the summit of each whorl and give a distinct recognition mark to the species. This crest of scales is underlined by a stout undulating cord. Though excavate out of the general contour, the fasciole is not well differentiated. It is sculptured by radial lamellae and traversed by two or three spiral threads. On 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 ...

, anterior to the fasciole, run about sixteen rather flat-topped spiral lyrae, about twice their own breadth apart, between which one or two-minute interstitial threads may occur. On the penultimate whorl there are four such spirals .Wave-like ribs are set at about thirteen to a whorl, interrupted by the fasciole, but continuing to the base and ascending the spire perpendicularly. Aperture :—The mouth is narrow. 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 wide. The sinus is deeply U-shaped. The margin is everted. Behind the aperture is a varical swelling, followed by a narrow pocket groove, beyond which again the outer lip is turned inwards, giving rise to a short free edge. The callus on the columella is a thick sheet, the anterior edge of which is free from the preceding whorl. Hedley, C. 1922. A revision of the Australian Turridae. Records of the Australian Museum 13(6): 213–359, pls 42–56
(described as ''Inquisitor fibratus'')

Distribution

This marine species is endemic to Australia and occurs off Northern Territory, Queensland and Western Australia.

References

* Hinds, R.B. 1843. ''Description of new shells from the collection of Captain Belcher.'' Annals and Magazine of Natural History ser. 1 11: 16–21, 36–46, 255–257
Brazier, J. 1876. ''A list of the Pleurotomidae collected during the Chevert Expedition, with the description of the new species.'' Proceedings of the Linnean Society of New South Wales 1: 151–162
* Odhner, N.H. 1917. ''Results of Dr E. Mjöbergs Swedish scientific expeditions to Australia. 1910–1913, pt XVII, Mollusca''. Kongliga Svenska Vetenskaps-Academiens Nya Handlingar, Stockholm 52(16): 1–115 pls 1–3
Hedley, C. 1922. A revision of the Australian Turridae. Records of the Australian Museum 13(6): 213–359, pls 42–56
* Wells, F.E. 1994. ''A revision of the Recent Australian species of the turrid genera Inquisitor and Ptychobela''. Journal of the Malacological Society of Australasia 15: 71–102

External links

*
Brazier, J. 1876. ''A list of the Pleurotomidae collected during the Chevert expedition, with the description of the new species''. Proceedings of the Linnean Society of New South Wales 1: 151–162

Gastropods.com: ''Inquisitor spicata''
{{DEFAULTSORT:Inquisitor Spicata spicata Gastropods of Australia Gastropods described in 1843 Taxa named by Richard Brinsley Hinds