''Tritia denticulata'' 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 ...

Nassariidae The Nassariidae, Nassa mud snails (USA), or dog whelks (UK), are a taxonomic family of small to medium-sized sea snails, marine gastropod mollusks in the clade Neogastropoda. "Dog whelk" also refers to '' Nucella lapillus''. Shell descripti ...

, the Nassa mud snails or dog whelks.

Description

The length of the shell varies between 20 mm and 35 mm. The shell has a high conical

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 ...

and a globose body whorl. The

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 ...

is cyrtoconoid (almost with the shape of a cone, but having convex sides) with about 3

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. The teleoconch contains 7–8 convex whorls, with a

sculpture Sculpture is the branch of the visual arts that operates in three dimensions. Sculpture is the three-dimensional art work which is physically presented in the dimensions of height, width and depth. It is one of the plastic arts. Durable sc ...

of fine, regular spiral cords, broader than the interspaces, and with flexuous axial folds, which are rather swollen beneath the suture and make it undulated and channelled. The base of the body whorl contains a strong groove delimiting the outer part of the

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 ...

. 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 rounded. The outer lip is somewhat thickened externally although not forming a

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 ...

. Inside the outer lip there are numerous denticles elongated in the spiral direction and alternating stronger and weaker. Parietal and

columella Lucius Junius Moderatus Columella (; Arabic: , 4 – ) was a prominent writer on agriculture in the Roman Empire. His ' in twelve volumes has been completely preserved and forms an important source on Roman agriculture, together with the ...

r edges form a callus with a raised edge. There is a distinct parietal plait present. The colour of the shell is yellowish with a broad subsutural band of darker blotches; the protoconch dark brown; and the aperture white.

Distribution

This species occurs in the Eastern Atlantic, from southern Portugal to

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, also off the Cape Verde islands,

Canary Islands The Canary Islands (; es, Canarias, ), also known informally as the Canaries, are a Spanish autonomous community and archipelago in the Atlantic Ocean, in Macaronesia. At their closest point to the African mainland, they are west of Mo ...

Madeira ) , anthem = ( en, "Anthem of the Autonomous Region of Madeira") , song_type = Regional anthem , image_map=EU-Portugal_with_Madeira_circled.svg , map_alt=Location of Madeira , map_caption=Location of Madeira , subdivision_type=Sovereign st ...

and Lusitanian seamounts. It occurs in the Mediterranean Sea only in the Alboran Sea and off the Algerian coast. It is moderately common in 50–200 m. Gorringe, Ampère and Seine seamounts, rare in 130–310 m.

References

* Cernohorsky W. O. (1984). ''Systematics of the family Nassariidae (Mollusca: Gastropoda).'' Bulletin of the Auckland Institute and Museum 14: 1–356 * Adam W. & Knudsen J. 1984. ''Révision des Nassariidae (Mollusca : Gastropoda Prosobranchia) de l’Afrique occidentale.'' Bulletin de l'Institut Royal des Sciences Naturelles de Belgique 55(9): 1–95, 5 pl * Rolán E. & Hernández J.M. (2005) ''The West African species of the group Nassarius denticulatus (Mollusca, Neogastropoda), with the description of a new species.'' Journal of Conchology 38(5): 499-511 page(s): 500

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Tritia Denticulata denticulata Gastropods described in 1852 Molluscs of the Atlantic Ocean Molluscs of the Mediterranean Sea Molluscs of Angola Molluscs of the Canary Islands Molluscs of Madeira Gastropods of Cape Verde Invertebrates of North Africa Molluscs of Europe