Turritella ferruginea is a species of sea snail, a marine gastropod mollusk in the family Turritellidae.[1]
| Turritella ferruginea | |
|---|---|
| |
| Shell of Turritella ferruginea | |
Scientific classification 
| |
| Domain: | Eukaryota |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Mollusca |
| Class: | Gastropoda |
| Subclass: | Caenogastropoda |
| Family: | Turritellidae |
| Genus: | Turritella |
| Species: | T. ferruginea
|
| Binomial name | |
| Turritella ferruginea Reeve , 1849
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| Synonyms | |
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Turritella (Zaria) ferruginea Reeve, 1849 · | |
Status
editExamination of the spiral sculpture has revealed a cancellated sculpture (alse see Reeve, 1849, pl. 7, sp. 32 "with minute longitudinal striae"). All three specimens show a backwards folded lip at the columellar side. These two features could possibly indicate this species is not a turritellid, and could lead to a potential relationship with species of Eglisia. Further examinations as to the before mentioned relationship and a possible status for this species are currently ongoing. Similar sculpture has been observed in the type samples of Turritella fultoni Melvill, 1897 and Turritella illustris Melvill, 1904 [1]
Description
editThe length of the shell reaches up to 110 mm.
The shell is relatively large, many-whorled, and long and slender, tapering gradually toward the apex. The whorls are slightly convex, with a rounded outward shape, and are sculpted with numerous closely spaced, crisp spiral threads. The surface is dull, and the basal angle is well-defined, marked by a stronger spiral cord (indicated in the figure). The aperture is rounded, and the outer lip is distinctly concave, appearing hollowed inward.
The color ranges from cream to buff, often speckled with reddish-brown, which may appear in the form of curved axial flame-like markings. [2]
Distribution
editThis species is endemic to South Africa and occurs off the Agulhas Bank (False Bay to Algoa Bay) at depths between 40 m and 210 m.
References
edit- ^ a b Turritella ferruginea Reeve , 1849. Retrieved through: World Register of Marine Species on 17 May 2010.
- ^ Herbert, D.G., Jones, G.J. & Atkinson, L.J. (2018). Phylum Mollusca. In: Atkinson, L.J. and Sink, K.J. (eds) Field Guide to the Offshore Marine Invertebrates of South Africa. Pretoria: Malachite Marketing and Media. p. 289. ISBN 978-1-86868-098-6. Retrieved 17 October 2024.
{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link) This article incorporates text from this source, which is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license.
- Tomlin, J.R. le B. (1925). "Reports on the marine Mollusca in the collections of the South African Museum". Annals of the South African Museum. 20 (4): 309-310.
External links
edit- Reeve, L.A. (1849). Monograph of the genus Turritella. In: Conchologia Iconica, or, illustrations of the shells of molluscous animals, vol. 5,. london: Reeve & co.