Mitra litterata
Lamarck,
1811 (Sea Snail)
Organism information awaits expert curation
Organism information awaits expert curation
| Taxonomy | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Mollusca |
| Class: | Gastropoda |
| Order: | Neogastropoda |
| Family: | Mitridae |
Description
Size: 31 mm.
Color: White or cream in color, ornamented with irregular, wavy, brown or dark olive-green axial streaks and blotches, some specimens are brown and spotted and streaked with white, cream or light yellow, aperture and columella white or light violet, parietal wall brown, parietal callus off-white. Periostracum thin, brown or yellowish brown and moderately translucent.
Shell about 1 1/4 inches in length, elongate-ovate to ovate, heavy and solid, body whorl very long, spire short, sutures distinct and narrowly incised. Whorls 5-7, apart from the protoconch which is always eroded in mature specimens, spire whorls short and convex, sculptured with spiral rows of small and shallow punctures which number from 4-13 on the penultimate and from 17-30 on the body whorl; towards the base the spiral pittings become prominent, oblique cords. Aperture longer than the spire, narrow and smooth within, outer lip prominently thickened and smooth, interior callus small or large and sometimes bluntly tringular, columella calloused anteriorly and with 4-5 oblique folds, parietal wall only glazed and frequently with a callosity near the juncture of the outer lip. Siphonal canal short and straight, siphonal notch distinct.
Size: 31 mm.
Color: White or cream in color, ornamented with irregular, wavy, brown or dark olive-green axial streaks and blotches, some specimens are brown and spotted and streaked with white, cream or light yellow, aperture and columella white or light violet, parietal wall brown, parietal callus off-white. Periostracum thin, brown or yellowish brown and moderately translucent.
Shell about 1 1/4 inches in length, elongate-ovate to ovate, heavy and solid, body whorl very long, spire short, sutures distinct and narrowly incised. Whorls 5-7, apart from the protoconch which is always eroded in mature specimens, spire whorls short and convex, sculptured with spiral rows of small and shallow punctures which number from 4-13 on the penultimate and from 17-30 on the body whorl; towards the base the spiral pittings become prominent, oblique cords. Aperture longer than the spire, narrow and smooth within, outer lip prominently thickened and smooth, interior callus small or large and sometimes bluntly tringular, columella calloused anteriorly and with 4-5 oblique folds, parietal wall only glazed and frequently with a callosity near the juncture of the outer lip. Siphonal canal short and straight, siphonal notch distinct.
Synonym (s)
• Colombella bizonalis Lamarck, 1822
• Colombella hebraea Lamarck, 1822
• Mitra leopardina Kuster, 1839
• Mitra literata Lamarck, 1844
• Mitra maculosa Reeve, 1844
• Strigatella litterata Lamarck, 1880
• Strigatella maculosa Reeve, 1880
• Strigatella literata Lamarck, 1880
• Mitra (Strigatella) litterata Lamarck, 1882
• Mitra (Strigatella) litterata var. minor Dautzenberg and Bouge, 1923
• Mitra (Strigatella) litterata var. major Dautzenberg and Bouge, 1923
• Mitra (Strigatella) litterata var. inversicolor Dautzenberg and Bouge, 1923
• Mitra (Strigatella) litterata var. maculosa Reeve, 1923
• Colombella bizonalis Lamarck, 1822
• Colombella hebraea Lamarck, 1822
• Mitra leopardina Kuster, 1839
• Mitra literata Lamarck, 1844
• Mitra maculosa Reeve, 1844
• Strigatella litterata Lamarck, 1880
• Strigatella maculosa Reeve, 1880
• Strigatella literata Lamarck, 1880
• Mitra (Strigatella) litterata Lamarck, 1882
• Mitra (Strigatella) litterata var. minor Dautzenberg and Bouge, 1923
• Mitra (Strigatella) litterata var. major Dautzenberg and Bouge, 1923
• Mitra (Strigatella) litterata var. inversicolor Dautzenberg and Bouge, 1923
• Mitra (Strigatella) litterata var. maculosa Reeve, 1923
Common Name (s)
• Litterate Miter
• Litterate Miter
Economic Importance and Threats
Ecology
Habitat: Reef Associated, Rocky, Coastal
Habitat: Reef Associated, Rocky, Coastal
Biogeography
• Andaman and Nicobar Islands INDIA
• Lakshadweep INDIA
• Andaman and Nicobar Islands INDIA
• Lakshadweep INDIA
Literature Source(s)
- (2002) Lakshadweep Islands biodiversity strategy and action plan (Version: 3)
- Tikadar, BK; Daniel, A and Subbarao, NV (1986) Sea shore animals of Andaman and Nicobar Islands The Director, ZSI, Kolkatta 188 Available at - ZSI, Pune
- Apte,D (1998) The book of Indian shells Oxford University Press 115
- Cernohorsky, WO (1973) The Mitridae of the World Indo-Pacific Mollusca Delaware Museum of Natural History Grenville, Delaware, U.S.A 3(17) 273-528 Available at - NIO, Goa
- Mayhew, R Schooner specimen shells Available at - http://www.schnr-specimen-shells.com/
- Society for the Management of European Biodiversity Data (2009) World Register of Marine Species (WoRMS) Available at - http://www.marinespecies.org
Page last updated on:2011-09-05
