''Pilsbryspira leucocyma'', common name the white-knobbed turret, is a
species
A species () is often defined as the largest group of organisms in which any two individuals of the appropriate sexes or mating types can produce fertile offspring, typically by sexual reproduction. It is the basic unit of Taxonomy (biology), ...
of
sea snail
Sea snails are slow-moving marine (ocean), marine gastropod Mollusca, molluscs, usually with visible external shells, such as whelk or abalone. They share the Taxonomic classification, taxonomic class Gastropoda with slugs, which are distinguishe ...
, a marine
gastropod
Gastropods (), commonly known as slugs and snails, belong to a large Taxonomy (biology), taxonomic class of invertebrates within the phylum Mollusca called Gastropoda ().
This class comprises snails and slugs from saltwater, freshwater, and fro ...
mollusk
Mollusca is a phylum of protostomic invertebrate animals, whose members are known as molluscs or mollusks (). Around 76,000 extant species of molluscs are recognized, making it the second-largest animal phylum after Arthropoda. The ...
in the
family
Family (from ) is a Social group, group of people related either by consanguinity (by recognized birth) or Affinity (law), affinity (by marriage or other relationship). It forms the basis for social order. Ideally, families offer predictabili ...
Pseudomelatomidae
Pseudomelatomidae is a family (biology), family of predatory sea snails, marine gastropods included in the superfamily Conoidea (previously Conacea) and part of the Neogastropoda (Taxonomy of the Gastropoda (Bouchet & Rocroi, 2005), Bouchet & Ro ...
, the turrids and allies.
Description
The length of the shell varies between 12 mm and 20 mm.
Compared with ''Drillia albomaculata'', (d'Orbigny, 1842) (now synonym of ''
Pilsbryspira nodata''
(C. B. Adams, 1850) ), it is more slender, with the periphery-angle bearing a pair of close revolving ribs, more conspicuous than the rest of the spiral sculpture and tipped with white where crossing the longitudinal ribs.
In the typical ''Drillia albomaculata'' the coloring is similar, but a single broader rib revolves at the periphery. In some specimens, however, there is a more or less distinct impressed line on the middle of the rib, so approximating it to this variety.
Distribution
''P. leucocyma'' can be found in Atlantic waters, ranging from the eastern coast of
Florida
Florida ( ; ) is a U.S. state, state in the Southeastern United States, Southeastern region of the United States. It borders the Gulf of Mexico to the west, Alabama to the northwest, Georgia (U.S. state), Georgia to the north, the Atlantic ...
south to
Brazil
Brazil, officially the Federative Republic of Brazil, is the largest country in South America. It is the world's List of countries and dependencies by area, fifth-largest country by area and the List of countries and dependencies by population ...
.
[Tunnell, John W., Jr., Felder, Darryl L., & Earle, Sylvia A., eds. ''Gulf of Mexico Origin, Waters, and Biota, Volume 1: Biodiversity.'' Texas A&M University Press, 2009. 669.]
References
External links
De Jong K.M. & Coomans H.E. (1988) Marine gastropods from Curaçao, Aruba and Bonaire. Leiden: E.J. Brill. 261 pp. *
Gastropods.com: ''Pilsbryspira leucocyma''
{{DEFAULTSORT:Pilsbryspira Leucocyma
leucocyma
Gastropods described in 1884