''Splendrillia suluensis'' is a

species In biology, a species is the basic unit of Taxonomy (biology), 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 ...

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 es ...

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 ...

Drilliidae The Drilliidae are a taxonomic family of small predatory sea snails with high-spired shells. They are classified as marine gastropod mollusks in the superfamily Conoidea. This family has no subfamilies. It consists of about 30 genera and approxi ...

Description

The length of the shell attains 10 mm, its diameter 3 mm. (Original description) smooth, shining, white shell is shortly fusiform. It contains 6 to 7

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 flo ...

s, of which about 2 form a smooth, convexly-whorled

protoconch A protoconch (meaning first or earliest or original shell) is an embryonic or larval shell which occurs in some classes of molluscs, e.g., the initial chamber of an ammonite or the larval shell of a gastropod. In older texts it is also calle ...

. The subsequent whorls are slightly convex, with a narrow depression below the simple suture. The lower part shows rather strong, rounded ribs from suture to suture, about 10 on penultimate whorl, fainter in the excavation, which latter as well as the ribs disappear on body whorl, with the exception of a strong rib behind the peristome. This latter whorl is moreover slightly compressed, with a trace of a second rib or indistinct

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 ...

on the left side of the whorl, which is contracted below, with a few indistinct spiral lirac near the base. The whole shell is covered with very fine growth-striae. 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 short, oval, with a broad, rather deep, rounded sinus at the suture, narrower by a strong columellar tubercle. The peristome is thin, though strongly ribbed exteriorly. The columellar marginis concave, strongly enamelled. The base of the aperture ends in a short, wide

siphonal canal The siphonal canal is an anatomical feature of the shells of certain groups of sea snails within the clade Neogastropoda. Some sea marine gastropods have a soft tubular anterior extension of the mantle called a siphon through which water ...

.Schepman, 1913. The prosobranchia of the Siboga expedition. Part IV -V - VI: Toxoglossa
/ref>

Distribution

This species occurs in the

Sulu Sea The Sulu Sea ( fil, Dagat Sulu; Tausug: ''Dagat sin Sūg''; Chavacano: ''Mar de Sulu''; Cebuano: ''Dagat sa Sulu''; Hiligaynon: ''Dagat sang Sulu''; Karay-a: ''Dagat kang Sulu''; Cuyonon: ''Dagat i'ang Sulu''; ms, Laut Sulu) is a body ...

, Philippines

References

M.M. Schepman, Full text of "Siboga expeditie"

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Splendrillia Suluensis suluensis Gastropods described in 1913