''Raphitoma harpula'' is an extinct 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). . 39 ...

.Bellardi, L. (1877). I molluschi dei terreni terziarii del Piemonte e della Liguria. Parte II (Pleurotomidae). Stamperia Reale, Torino, 364 pp., 9 pl.
/ref> It was named ''Raphitoma harpula'' by Bellardi in 1847 .Bellardi L. (1847). Monografia delle Pleurotome fossili del Piemonte. Memorie della Reale Accademia delle Scienze di Torino. 9(2): 531–650, 4 pls.

Description

The length of the shell reaches 23 mm. Its diameter is 8 mm. The very slender, fusiform, turriculate shell has a high spire and a pointed apex. The

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 are short, numerous and convex. 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 ...

measures 2/5 of the total length. The sutures are impressed. The whorls contain 10–12 axial, hardly oblique ribs. They are narrow, prominent and compressed. The transverse striae are minute and then again obsolete between the interstices of the axial ribs. The columella is somewhat depressed backwards and slightly twisted. The siphonal canal is short and recurved to the right.

Distribution

Fossils of this marine species were found in Miocene strata of Emilia-Romagna, Italy.

References

* Brocchi G.B. (1814). Conchiologia fossile subapennina con osservazioni geologiche sugli Apennini e sul suolo adiacente. Milano. Vol. 1: i–lxxx, 1–56, 1–240; vol. 2: 241–712, 16 pls.

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Raphitoma Harpula harpula Gastropods described in 1814