''Clavatula imperialis'' 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

Clavatulidae Clavatulidae is a taxonomic family of sea snails, marine gastropod mollusks in the superfamily Conoidea. The family is not well differentiated morphologically. Clavatulidae was raised, based on cladistic analysis, from subfamily to the family ...

Description

The size of an adult shell varies between 25 mm and 50 mm. The ovate shell is short and ventricose. It is clothed with a thick, dark olive-colored epidermis. The

whorls 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 d ...

are angulated above, the angle having a row of scale-like tubercles. The columella is covered with a thick white callus. The interior of the aperture is stained above and below with violet. George Washington Tryon, Manual of Conchology vol. VI, pp. 229–230; 1884

Distribution

This species occurs in the Atlantic Ocean between Democratic Republic of the Congo and Angola.

References

* Gofas, S.; Afonso, J.P.; Brandào, M. (Ed.). (S.a.). ''Conchas e Moluscos de Angola = Coquillages et Mollusques d'Angola. hells and molluscs of Angola'. Universidade Agostinho / Elf Aquitaine Angola: Angola. 140 pp

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Clavatula Imperialis imperialis Gastropods described in 1816