Jump to content

Comitas saldanhae

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Comitas saldanhae
Apertural view of a shell of Comitas saldanhae
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Mollusca
Class: Gastropoda
Subclass: Caenogastropoda
Order: Neogastropoda
Superfamily: Conoidea
Family: Pseudomelatomidae
Genus: Comitas
Species:
C. saldanhae
Binomial name
Comitas saldanhae
(Barnard, 1958)
Synonyms[1]

Turris saldanhae Barnard, 1958 (original combination)

Comitas saldanhae, common name the Benguela comitas, is a species of sea snail, a marine gastropod mollusc in the family Pseudomelatomidae, the turrids and allies.[1]

Description

[edit]

The length of the shell varies between 40 mm and 62 mm, but is usually less than 45 mm. [2]

The shell is spindle-shaped, featuring a short siphonal canal and an elevated spire. Whorls are distinctly shouldered, with an indented suture. The shoulder slope is adorned with spiral threads, while below the shoulder, the sculpture includes oblique axial ribs crossed by finer spiral threads. The base displays only spiral threads and growth lines. The outer lip has a broad, moderately deep U-shaped anal sinus at the shoulder, and in larger specimens, the lip edge flares outward below this point. [2]

The shell is chalky white with a dull brown periostracum. The apex, ribs, and subsutural region are frequently eroded, and the shell is often covered in mud. [2]

Distribution

[edit]

This marine species occurs off the west coast off South Africa (Namibia to west of Cape Point) and off the Orange River. [2]

References

[edit]
  1. ^ a b Comitas saldanhae (Barnard, 1958). 26 October 2024. Retrieved through: World Register of Marine Species.
  2. ^ a b c d 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. doi:10.15493/SAEON.PUB.10000001. 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.
  • Barnard, 1958. Contribution to the knowledge of South African marine mollusca Part I. Gastropoda. Posobranchiata, Toxoglossa.
  • Nolf F. (2011) A northern range extension for Comitas saldanhae (Barnard, 1958) (Mollusca: Gastropoda: Clavatulidae). Neptunea 10(2): 1–4
[edit]