''Vexillum cancellarioides'', common name the cancellaria mitre, is a species of small

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 ...

, 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

Costellariidae Costellariidae sometimes called the "ribbed miters" is a taxonomic family of minute to medium-sized predatory sea snails, marine gastropod mollusks. This family of snails is also sometimes referred to as ''Vexillum'' miters. The main family ...

, the ribbed miters.

Description

The shell size of this species varies between 13 mm and 25 mm, comparable to the

length Length is a measure of distance. In the International System of Quantities, length is a quantity with dimension distance. In most systems of measurement a base unit for length is chosen, from which all other units are derived. In the Interna ...

of average human fingernail. Its shell may have any color range from cream white to light brown. The shell is white, sometimes with a central brown band or a row of spots interrupted by the tubercles, which cover the entire surface. The upper part of the bodywhorl shows close impressed revolving striae. The aperture is yellowish within. Tryon (1882), Manual of Conchology IV
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Distribution

This species occurs in the Red Sea, the Indian Ocean off the

Aldabra Aldabra is the world's second-largest coral atoll, lying south-east of the continent of Africa. It is part of the Aldabra Group of islands in the Indian Ocean that are part of the Outer Islands of the Seychelles, with a distance of 1,120 k ...

Atoll and the Mascarene Basin, and in the Western Pacific; off Australia ( New South Wales, Queensland)

References

* Anton, H.E. 1838. Verzeichniss der Conchylien welche sich in der Sammlung von Hermann Eduard Anton befinden. Halle : Eduard Anton xvi + 110 pp. * Swainson, W. 1840. A treatise on malacology or the natural classification of shells and shell-fish. London : Longman, Brown, Green & Longmans 419 pp * Dautzenberg, P. & Bouge, L.J. 1923. Mitridés de la Nouvelle-Calédonie et de ses dépendances. Journal de Conchyliologie 67(2): 179-259 * Demond, J. 1957. Micronesian reef associated gastropods. Pacific Science 11(3): 275–341, fig. 2, pl. 1 * Maes, V.O. 1967. The littoral marine mollusks of Cocos-Keeling Islands (Indian Ocean). Proceedings of the Academy of Natural Sciences, Philadelphia 119: 93–21 * Cernohorsky, W.O. 1968. The date of publication of Kiener's Mitra monograph in the Spécies général et iconographie des coquilles vivantes. The Veliger 10(4): 349 * Taylor, J.D. (1973). ''Provisional list of the mollusca of Aldabra Atoll'' * Kay, E.A. 1979. Hawaiian marine shells. Reef and shore fauna of Hawaii. Section 4 : Mollusca. Honolulu, Hawaii : Bishop Museum Press Bernice P. Bishop Museum Special Publication Vol. 64(4) 653 pp. * Springsteen, F.J. & Leobrera, F.M. 1986. Shells of the Philippines. Manila : Carfel Seashell Museum 377 pp., 100 pls. * Drivas, J. & M. Jay (1988). ''Coquillages de La Réunion et de l'île Maurice'' * Wells, F.F., Bryce, C.W., Clark, J.E. & Hansen, G.M. 1990. Christmas Shells. The marine molluscs of Christmas Island (Indian Ocean). Christmas Island: Australia : Christmas Island Natural History Association 98 pp., pls 1-81. * Wilson, B. 1994. Australian marine shells. Prosobranch gastropods. Kallaroo, WA : Odyssey Publishing Vol. 2 370 pp. * Salisbury, R.A. 1999. Costellariidae of the World, Pt. 1. Of Sea and Shore 22(3): 124-136 * Turner H. 2001. ''Katalog der Familie Costellariidae'' Macdonald, 1860. Conchbooks. 1–100 * Steyn, D.G. & Lussi, M. (1998) Marine Shells of South Africa. An Illustrated Collector's Guide to Beached Shells. Ekogilde Publishers, Hartebeespoort, South Africa, ii + 264 pp. * Arnaud, J.P., Berthault, C., Jeanpierre, R., Martin, J.C. & Martin, P. 2002. Costellariidae et Mitridae de Nouvelle Calédonie. Xenophora. Association française de conchyliologie. Supplément 100: 52 pp.

External links

*
W.O.Cernohorsky, The Mitridae of Fiji - The Veliger v. 8 (1965-1966)

Kiener L.C. (1834-1841). Spécies général et iconographie des coquilles. Vol. 3. Famille des Columellaires. Genres Mitre (Mitra), Lamarck, pp. 1-120, pl. 1-34

Reeve, L. A. (1844-1845). Monograph of the genus Mitra. In: Conchologia Iconica, or, illustrations of the shells of molluscous animals, vol. 2, pl. 1-39 and unpaginated text. L. Reeve & Co., London
cancellarioides Gastropods described in 1838 {{Costellariidae-stub