Description
The size of an adult shell varies between 10 mm and 20 mm. The narrow, conical shell has seven or eight tumid whorls, crossed by numerous transverse ribs (15 to 20 on the penultimate whorl), spiral ridges and fine growth lines. These ribs are narrow and interact with spiral ridges, forming a deep reticulate pattern with raised tubercles. The thin outer lip is straight, crenulate andshows internal grooves. It is marked with inflection at the base of the siphonal canal. This siphonal canal is long about 25 % of the length of the shell), narrow and almost straight. The color of the shell is yellowish (often with spiral brown bands), flesh-colored or sometimes white. The ova-capsules are described by Jeffreys as about a line in diameter, with an oval orifice. The contain a purplish liquor together with the fry. The animal is light yellow or whitish. It is eaten by fishes : Trigla lyra and Peristedion cataphractum.Distribution
This species occurs in sublittoral European waters, in the Mediterranean Sea, in the Black Sea, in the Northwest Atlantic Ocean offSynonyms
* ''Fusus asperrimus'' Leach in Brown, 1827 * ''Fusus cancellatus'' Bivona, 1838 * ''Fusus longurio'' Weinkauff, 1866 * ''Murex muricatus'' Montagu, 1803 * ''Murex recticanalis'' Wood, 1879 * ''Murex sculptus'' Bellardi, 1872 * ''Pseudofusus rostratus'' var. ''sowerbyana'' Monterosato, 1890 * ''Raphitoma asperrima'' (Brown, 1827) * ''Trophon curta'' Locard, 1892 * ''Trophon muricatus'' ( Montagu, 1803) * ''Trophon muricatus albinus'' Settepassi, 1977 (not available, published in a work which does not consistently use binomial nomenclature (ICZN art. 11.4)) * ''Trophon muricatus major'' Settepassi, 1977 (not available, published in a work which does not consistently use binomial nomenclature (ICZN art. 11.4)) * ''Trophon muricatus var. aspera'' Monterosato in Bucquoy & Dautzenberg, 1882 * ''Trophon muricatus var. lactea'' Jeffreys, 1867 * ''Trophon muricatus var. major'' Monterosato in Bucquoy & Dautzenberg, 1882 * ''Trophon muricatus var. minor'' Monterosato in Bucquoy & Dautzenberg, 1882 * ''Trophonopsis curta'' Locard, 1892 * ''Trophonopsis forestii'' Ruggieri, 1947 * ''Trophonopsis forestii coeni'' Ruggieri, 1947 * ''Trophonopsis gortani'' Ruggieri, 1947 * ''Trophonopsis longurio'' Bucquoy & Dautzenberg, 1882 · * ''Trophonopsis muricata'' var. ''minor'' Locard, 1897 * ''Trophonopsis muricatus albinus'' Monterosato in Settepassi, 1977 * ''Trophonopsis muricatus var. minor'' Locard, 1897References
* Wood, S.V. (1879) Second supplement to the Monograph of the Crag Mollusca, or, descriptions of shells from the middle and upper tertiaries of the east of England. Vol. IV. Univalves and bivalves. Monograph Palaeontographical Society of London, 33, 1–58 * de Kluijver, M.J.; Ingalsuo, S.S.; de Bruyne, R.H. (2000). ''Macrobenthos of the North Sea'' D-ROM 1. Keys to Mollusca and Brachiopoda. World Biodiversity Database CD-ROM Series. Expert Center for Taxonomic Identification (ETI): Amsterdam, the Netherlands. * Gofas, S.; Le Renard, J.; Bouchet, P. (2001). Mollusca, in: Costello, M.J. et al. (Ed.) (2001). ''European register of marine species: a check-list of the marine species in Europe and a bibliography of guides to their identification''. Collection Patrimoines Naturels, 50: pp. 180–213 * Muller, Y. (2004). ''Faune et flore du littoral du Nord, du Pas-de-Calais et de la Belgique: inventaire. oastal fauna and flora of the Nord, Pas-de-Calais and Belgium: inventory'' Commission Régionale de Biologie Région Nord Pas-de-Calais: France. 307 pp.External links
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