RISSOIDAE

  Rissoina spirata
Sowerby, 1825

Relevant Synonyms
Rissoina dorbignyi Adams A., 1851

Misidentification
Rissoina decussata (Montagu, 1803) [Giannuzzi-Savelli et al., 1997]

 drawing: Tuvia Kurz    

SHORT DESCRIPTION
Shell elongated, high-spired, of 7-8 moderately convex whorls with a distinct rim under the suture; body whorl distinctly constricted. Sculpture of spire whorls of oblique axial ribs which fade out on the body whorl or the previous one. Spiral sculpture of very faint grooves. Aperture oval, with a thickened outer lip, smooth inside, and a hardly indicated siphonal canal.

color : white.

common size : reported Mediterranean specimens 6-8 mm, up to 14 mm in the Red Sea.

DISTINGUISHING CHARACTERISTICS
This species is unmistakable, owing to the strong subsutural rim crenulated by the axial ribs.

BIOLOGY / ECOLOGY
Unknown.

habitat : unknown.


1st Mediterranean record
Capraia, Tyrrhenian Sea, 1984 [1974].


DISTRIBUTION
Worldwide: Indo-Pacific. Mediterranean: a spurious record in 1974 from the Tyrrhenian Sea (Bogi et al., 1984) not further documented and possibly based on a displaced specimen. The records from Haifa, Israel seem more likely (Giannuzzi-Savelli et al., 1997).

ESTABLISHMENT SUCCESS
Very rare, only known from the above mentioned records.

speculated reasons for success :
-


MODE OF INTRODUCTION
Unknown.


IMPORTANCE TO HUMANS
None.


KEY REFERENCES

  • Bogi C., Coppini M. and Margelli A., 1984. Ritrovamento nel Mediterraneo di Rissoina cfr. spirata (Sowerby, 1820). Bollettino Malacologico, 20(1-4): 101-104.
  • Giannuzzi-Savelli R., Pusateri F., Palmeri A. and Ebreo C., 1997. Atlante delle conchiglie marine del mediterraneo. Vol. 2: Caenogastropoda. La Conchiglia, Roma, 258 p.

 

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Last update : December 2003

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