''Turcica imperialis'' 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 ...

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 Marine is an adjective meaning of or pertaining to the sea or ocean. Marine or marines may refer to: Ocean * Maritime (disambiguation) * Marine art * Marine biology * Marine debris * Marine habitats * Marine life * Marine pollution Military * ...

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 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 Social group, group of people related either by consanguinity (by recognized birth) or Affinity (law), affinity (by marriage or other relationship). The purpose of the family is to maintain the well-being of its ...

Eucyclidae Eucyclidae is a family of gastropods in the superfamily Seguenzioidea (according to the taxonomy of the Gastropoda by Bouchet & Rocroi, 2005). This family has no subfamilies. Genera Genera within the family Eucyclidae include: * '' Amberley ...

Description

The solid, conoidal shell has an acuminate

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 are ...

. The base is obliquely produced. Its color is tawny-red variegated, ornamented by transverse cinguli articulated with chestnut. 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 somewhat convex, with a strong nodulose cingulus at the periphery, and beaded lirulae alternating with elevated lines. The interstices are obliquely striate. The sutures are canaliculate. They are furnished with a series of granules above. The base of the shell is convex, furnished with concentric granulose cinguli. The oblique

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 opt ...

is subcircular. The columella is tortuous, terminating in an anterior tooth. The outer lip is subexpanded, with an entire margin. The inside of the shell is smooth. The shell is more elevated than ''

Turcica monilifera ''Turcica monilifera'' is a species of sea snail, a marine gastropod mollusk in the family Eucyclidae. Description The size of the shell varies between 10 mm and 30 mm. The thin shell is conoidal, subdiaphanous and imperforate. Its col ...

'' Its base is more oblique. The aperture is more produced and the golden-nacreous appearance is wanting.Tryon (1889), Manual of Conchology XI, Academy of Natural Sciences, Philadelphia
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Distribution

This marine species occurs off

Japan Japan ( ja, 日本, or , and formally , ''Nihonkoku'') is an island country in East Asia. It is situated in the northwest Pacific Ocean, and is bordered on the west by the Sea of Japan, while extending from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north ...

References

{{Taxonbar, from=Q16993264 imperialis Gastropods described in 1863