''Pictocolumbella ocellata'', common name : the lightning dove shell, 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

Columbellidae The Columbellidae, the dove snails or dove shells, are a family of minute to small sea snails, marine gastropod mollusks in the order Neogastropoda.Bouchet, P.; Gofas, S. (2010). Columbellidae. In: Bouchet, P.; Gofas, S.; Rosenberg, G. (2010) Wo ...

, the dove snails.

Description

The shell size varies between 13 mm and 20 mm. the colour of the shell is commonly a dark brown colour but can also be found in a red or orange. the pattern on the outside of the shell varies between zigzags, small spots and triangle like shapes all in a white or yellowish colour. the tip of the shell is white and near the opening it turns into a pinkish colour.

Distribution

This species is distributed in the Indian Ocean along Madagascar and in the Western Pacific (in warm tropical water). The Lightning Dove Shell lives on sandy and muddy bottom, the shell colour varies grately.

References

* Dautzenberg, Ph. (1929). ''Mollusques testacés marins de Madagascar''. Faune des Colonies Francaises, Tome III * Richmond, M. (Ed.) (1997). ''A guide to the seashores of Eastern Africa and the Western Indian Ocean islands''. Sida/Department for Research Cooperation, SAREC: Stockholm, Sweden. . 448 pp.

External links

* Columbellidae Gastropods described in 1807 {{Columbellidae-stub