''Tritia denticulata'' is a

species In biology, a species is the basic unit of classification and a taxonomic rank of an organism, as well as a unit of biodiversity. A species is often defined as the largest group of organisms in which any two individuals of the appropriate s ...

of sea snail, a marine gastropod

mollusk Mollusca is the second-largest phylum of invertebrate animals after the Arthropoda, the members of which are known as molluscs or mollusks (). Around 85,000 extant species of molluscs are recognized. The number of fossil species is e ...

in the

family Family (from la, familia) is a group of people related either by consanguinity (by recognized birth) or affinity (by marriage or other relationship). The purpose of the family is to maintain the well-being of its members and of society. Idea ...

Nassariidae, the Nassa mud snails or dog whelks.

Description

The length of the shell varies between 20 mm and 35 mm. The shell has a high conical

spire A spire is a tall, slender, pointed structure on top of a roof of a building or tower, especially at the summit of church steeples. A spire may have a square, circular, or polygonal plan, with a roughly conical or pyramidal shape. Spires a ...

and a globose body whorl. The protoconch is cyrtoconoid (almost with the shape of a cone, but having convex sides) with about 3

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. The

teleoconch The gastropod shell is part of the body of a gastropod or snail, a kind of mollusc. The shell is an exoskeleton, which protects from predators, mechanical damage, and dehydration, but also serves for muscle attachment and calcium storage. Some ...

contains 7–8 convex whorls, with a

sculpture Sculpture is the branch of the visual arts that operates in three dimensions. Sculpture is the three-dimensional art work which is physically presented in the dimensions of height, width and depth. It is one of the plastic arts. Durable ...

of fine, regular spiral cords, broader than the interspaces, and with flexuous axial folds, which are rather swollen beneath the suture and make it undulated and channelled. The base of the body whorl contains a strong groove delimiting the outer part of the siphonal canal. The

aperture In optics, an aperture is a hole or an opening through which light travels. More specifically, the aperture and focal length of an optical system determine the cone angle of a bundle of rays that come to a focus in the image plane. An ...

is rounded. The outer

lip The lips are the visible body part at the mouth of many animals, including humans. Lips are soft, movable, and serve as the opening for food intake and in the articulation of sound and speech. Human lips are a tactile sensory organ, and can be ...

is somewhat thickened externally although not forming a

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 ...

. Inside the outer lip there are numerous denticles elongated in the spiral direction and alternating stronger and weaker. Parietal and

columella Lucius Junius Moderatus Columella (; Arabic: , 4 – ) was a prominent writer on agriculture in the Roman Empire. His ' in twelve volumes has been completely preserved and forms an important source on Roman agriculture, together with the wo ...

r edges form a callus with a raised edge. There is a distinct parietal plait present. The colour of the shell is yellowish with a broad subsutural band of darker blotches; the protoconch dark brown; and the aperture white.

Distribution

This species occurs in the Eastern Atlantic, from southern Portugal to

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, also off the

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, Canary Islands, Madeira and Lusitanian seamounts. It occurs in the Mediterranean Sea only in the Alboran Sea and off the Algerian coast. It is moderately common in 50–200 m. Gorringe, Ampère and Seine seamounts, rare in 130–310 m.

References

* Cernohorsky W. O. (1984). ''Systematics of the family Nassariidae (Mollusca: Gastropoda).'' Bulletin of the Auckland Institute and Museum 14: 1–356 * Adam W. & Knudsen J. 1984. ''Révision des Nassariidae (Mollusca : Gastropoda Prosobranchia) de l’Afrique occidentale.'' Bulletin de l'Institut Royal des Sciences Naturelles de Belgique 55(9): 1–95, 5 pl * Rolán E. & Hernández J.M. (2005) ''The West African species of the group Nassarius denticulatus (Mollusca, Neogastropoda), with the description of a new species.'' Journal of Conchology 38(5): 499-511 page(s): 500

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Tritia Denticulata denticulata Gastropods described in 1852 Molluscs of the Atlantic Ocean Molluscs of the Mediterranean Sea Molluscs of Angola Molluscs of the Canary Islands Molluscs of Madeira Gastropods of Cape Verde Invertebrates of North Africa Molluscs of Europe