''Daphnella capensis'' 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

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 ...

.Bouchet, P. (2012). Daphnella capensis (G.B. Sowerby III, 1892). Accessed through: World Register of Marine Species at http://www.marinespecies.org/aphia.php?p=taxdetails&id=582342 on 2013-01-06 Not to be confused with ''Daphnella capensis'' (E. A. Smith, 1882), a synonym of ''

Tritonoturris capensis ''Tritonoturris capensis'' is a species of sea snail, a marine gastropod mollusk in the family Raphitomidae. often found along the coast of South Africa. Tritonoturris capensis is highly regarded for its beautiful shell and is sought after by ...

'' (E. A. Smith, 1882).

Description

The length of the shell attains 10 mm, its diameter 5 mm. The small, white shell has a fusiform shape. The spire is acute with a papillary apex. The shell contains 5½ slightly 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 with many longitudinal ribs crossed by narrow spiral lirations. 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 ...

is inflated. The columella is slightly twisted and not callous. The aperture is wide. The sharp outer lip is arcuate. G.B. Sowerby (1892), Marine shells of South Africa: a catalogue of all the known species with references to figures in various works, and figures of such as are rare, little known, or hitherto unfigured." London, GB Sowerby III, 1892

Distribution

This marine species occurs off

Port Elizabeth Gqeberha (), formerly Port Elizabeth and colloquially often referred to as P.E., is a major seaport and the most populous city in the Eastern Cape province of South Africa. It is the seat of the Nelson Mandela Bay Metropolitan Municipality, Sou ...

, South Africa.

References

* Bartsch, P. 1915. Bull. U.S. Nat. Mus. 91: 32, plate 8, figure 3. * Kilburn R.N. & Marais J.P. (2010) Columbellidae. pp. 60–104, in: Marais A.P. & Seccombe A.D. (eds), Identification guide to the seashells of South Africa. Volume 1. Groenkloof: Centre for Molluscan Studies. 376 pp. {{DEFAULTSORT:Daphnella Capensis capensis Gastropods described in 1892