| Vexillum helena | |
|---|---|
Scientific classification  | |
| Domain: | Eukaryota |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Mollusca |
| Class: | Gastropoda |
| Subclass: | Caenogastropoda |
| Order: | Neogastropoda |
| Superfamily: | Turbinelloidea |
| Family: | Costellariidae |
| Genus: | Vexillum |
| Species: | V. helena |
| Binomial name | |
| Vexillum helena (Bartsch, 1915) | |
| Synonyms | |
| |
Vexillum helena is a species of small sea snail, marine gastropod mollusk in the family Costellariidae, the ribbed miters.[1]
Description
The length of the shell attains 15 mm, its diameter 6.6 mm.
(Original description) The small shell is wax-yellow, with two bands of white, the first of which occupies a little more than the anterior half between the sutures, while the second one, which is about half as wide, occupies the middle of the base. The whorls of the protoconch are decollated. The six remaining whorls of the teleoconch are shouldered at the summit, marked by very strong, slightly retractive, axial ribs, of which 16 occur upon the first of the remaining turns, 20 on the second, and 16 upon the rest. In addition to the axial ribs, the whorls are crossed by strong spiral cords, of which five occur between the sutures of the first three and seven upon the fourth and last. The spaces inclosed between the axial ribs and spiral cords are deep pits on the posterior half and deep slits on the anterior half between the sutures. The base is rendered decidedly sigmoid on the left side by the twisting of the anterior portion; marked by the continuations of the axial ribs which extend to the tip of the columella, and 10 spiral cords, of which the 6 posterior to the columella are like those on the spire, while the first 2 on the columella are broader and stronger and more rounded, the last two on the anterior end weaker. The Suture well impressed. The aperture is narrow, channeled anteriorly. The posterior angle is acute. The outer lip is marked by 12, slender, spiral lirations within. The columella is provided with four oblique folds, which decrease regularly in size from the posterior to the anterior. They also become more oblique in the same order.[2]
Distribution
This marine species occurs off South Africa.
References
- ↑ Vexillum helena (Bartsch, 1915). Retrieved through: World Register of Marine Species on 24 April 2010.
- ↑ Bartsch, P. (1915). Report on the Turton Collection of South African marine mollusks, with additional notes on other South African shells contained in the United States National Museum. Bulletin. United States National Museum. 91: xii + 305 pp., 54 plates
This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the public domain.
- Gori, S.; Rosado, J.; Salisbury, R. A. (2019). Costellariidae (Gastropoda) from Dhofar, Oman with descriptions of eight new species and notes on Vexillum appelii (Jickeli, 1874). Acta Conchyliorum. 18: 25-48.