''Psittacodrillia albonodulosa'' 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 mollusk in the family

Horaiclavidae Horaiclavidae is a family of predatory sea snails, marine gastropod mollusks in the superfamily Conoidea. In 2011 this family was split off from the family Pseudomelatomidae (formerly the subfamily Crassispirinae McLean, 1971) by Bouchet P., Ka ...

Description

The length of the shell attains 8.3 mm, its diameter 4 mm. The small, dark-red shell contains six convex

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 and, contrary to the other species in this genus, the apex is not papilliform but slightly depressed. The shell has 10 axial ribs on the whorls. 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 ...

has only 6 or 7 ribs, the last part without ribs. The white marks on the ribs is continued as a white band on the smooth part, but it is superficial and not deeply seated. The shell shows spiral striae over whole whorl, 5–6 on the sulcus, 14-15 (or more) below (visible in worn specimens only between the ribs) and c. 15 stronger and more widely spaced striae on base. The aperture is oblong-ovate. The outer lip has a thin border. The columella is upright and shows a small callus. The wide

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 shallowSmith, Edgar A. (1904). On a Collection of Marine Shells frol Port Alfred, Cape Colony; Journal of Malacology, xi, p. 27, pi. 2, fig. 3
(described as ''Drillia albonodulosa'') The shell shows a vestigial

varix A varix (pl. varices) is an abnormally dilated vessel with a tortuous course. Varices usually occur in the venous system, but may also occur in arterial or lymphatic vessels. Examples of varices include: * Varicose veins, large tortuous veins usua ...

and fasciole.

Distribution

This marine species occurs off Jeffrey's Bay - Northeast Cape, South Africa

References

* Kilburn, R.N. & Rippey, E. (1982) ''Sea Shells of Southern Africa''. Macmillan South Africa, Johannesburg, xi + 249 pp. page(s): 117 * Kilburn R.N. (1988), Turridae (Mollusca: Gastropoda) of southern Africa and Mozambique. Part 4. Subfamilies Drilliinae, Crassispirinae and Strictispirinae; Ann. Natal Mus. Vol. 29(1) pp. 167–320 * Steyn, D.G. & Lussi, M. (1998) ''Marine Shells of South Africa. An Illustrated Collector’s Guide to Beached Shells''. Ekogilde Publishers, Hartebeespoort, South Africa, ii + 264 pp. page(s): 152

External links

Tucker, J.K. 2004 ''Catalog of recent and fossil turrids (Mollusca: Gastropoda)''. Zootaxa 682:1-1295.
{{DEFAULTSORT:Psittacodrillia Albonodulosa Endemic molluscs of South Africa albonodulosa