''Latisipho aphelus'' 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 Buccinidae, the true whelks.MolluscaBase eds. (2022). MolluscaBase. Latisipho aphelus (Dall, 1890). Accessed through: World Register of Marine Species at: https://www.marinespecies.org/aphia.php?p=taxdetails&id=491057 on 2022-11-27

Description

(Description as ''Chrysodomus aphelus'') The small shell has a bucciuiform shape and measures 30 mm. It contains six smooth

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, covered with a greenish-gray epidermis The minute

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 ...

is eroded. The whorls are full and well rounded. The suture is distinct, not deep nor channeled. The sculpture consists only of taint incremental lines and a few obscure spiral traces. The aperture is moderate. The outer lip is thin and is very slightly reflected, flexuous. The body and the columella lips are white, polished and without callus. The columella is short, strong, curved, truncate anteriorly and well recurved. 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, wide, well defined, and recurved. The white throat is smooth. The axis is not pervious. The operculum is normal.Dall, W. H. (1890). Scientific results of explorations by the U. S. Fish Commission Steamer “Albatross”. No. VII. Preliminary report on the collection of Mollusca and Brachiopoda obtained in 1887–'88. Proceedings of the United States National Museum. 12 (773): 219-362, pls 5-14
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Distribution

This marine species was found off the coast of Santa Barbara, California.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Latisipho Aphelus Buccinidae Gastropods described in 1921