''Pleurotomella vercoi'' 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

Raphitomidae Raphitomidae is a family of small to medium-sized sea snails, marine gastropod mollusks in the superfamily Conoidea.Bouchet P. & Rocroi J.-P. (Ed.) (2005). "Classification and nomenclator of gastropod families". '' Malacologia'' 47(1-2). . 3 ...

.MolluscaBase (2019). Pleurotomella vercoi (G.B. Sowerby III, 1896). Accessed through: World Register of Marine Species at: http://www.marinespecies.org/aphia.php?p=taxdetails&id=868158 on 2019-02-03

Description

The length of the shell attains 20 mm, its diameter 8 mm. (Original description) A thin, delicately sculptured, acuminate-ovate shell with an acute spire. It contains 8½

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, including 2 smooth whorls in the

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 ...

. The other whorls are convex and obtusely angulate. The ribs are of an undecided character, entirely disappearing 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 ...

. The many spiral lirae are narrow and close, and crossed by extremely delicate and profuse oblique laminae. The type specimen, besides the irregular light-brown markings, has two narrow zones below the periphery. While others are pale straw-colour, without markings. All the specimens are similar in detail of sculpture, but sometimes the longitudinal ribs are only to be seen on the upper whorls. And in one shell the body whorl is distinctly ribbed. The aperture is wide. The columella is straight. The outer lip is thin, simple and moderately produced forward in the middle.Sowerby III, G. B. (1896). ''List of the Pleurotomidae of South Australia, with descriptions of some new species.'' Proceedings of the Malacological Society of London. 2(1): 24-32, pl. 3

Distribution

This marine species is endemic to Australia and occurs off South Australia.

References

* Hedley, C. 1922. ''A revision of the Australian Turridae''. Records of the Australian Museum 13(6): 213–359, pls 42–56 * Powell, A.W.B. 1966. ''The molluscan families Speightiidae and Turridae, an evaluation of the valid taxa, both Recent and fossil, with list of characteristic species.'' Bulletin of the Auckland Institute and Museum. Auckland, New Zealand 5: 1–184, pls 1–23 * Beu, A.G. 2011 ''Marine Molluscs of oxygen isotope stages of the last 2 million years in New Zealand. Part 4. Gastropoda (Ptenoglossa, Neogastropoda, Heterobranchia)''. Journal of the Royal Society of New Zealand 41, 1–153

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Pleurotomella Vercoi vercoi Gastropods described in 1896 Gastropods of Australia