Relevant Synonyms - Misidentification -  photo: L. Giunchi et al. / La Conchiglia

SHORT DESCRIPTION Shell elongated, small, turriculated, with heterostrophic top whorl of "type B" (according to van Aartsen, 1987). Wide and well rounded aperture. Two convex whorls, fragile and semi-transparent, separated by marked suture. Sculpture consisting of numerous and thread-like axial ribs, slightly inclined to left, and very thin spirals. No teeth or folds are visible in the columella. A slight chink is present. color : white. common size : 1.4 mm in length: the type material is constituted by larger shells (up to 3.75 mm in length). DISTINGUISHING CHARACTERISTICS The characteristic shape of the shell and the fine sculpture make the species easy to identify. BIOLOGY / ECOLOGY Pyramidellids are ectoparasites, mainly of sedentary polychaetes and molluscs. habitat : the Mediterranean samples seem to indicate that this is a shallow-water species, while the type material was collected in 463 m depth.

1st Mediterranean record Yumurtalik, Adana, Turkey, 2001 [1995]. DISTRIBUTION Worldwide: the only record of this Indo-Pacific species is that of the type material, described for the Zanzibar Channel (Tanzania); it is not known in the Red Sea. Mediterranean: only known from southeasthern Turkey, 1995 (Giunchi et al., 2001). ESTABLISHMENT SUCCESS Rare. speculated reasons for success : - MODE OF INTRODUCTION Unknown. IMPORTANCE TO HUMANS None.

KEY REFERENCES Giunchi L., Micali P. and Tisselli M., 2001. Segnalazione di due nuovi immigranti lessepsiani lungo le coste della Turchia. La Conchiglia, 33(298): 47-48. Thiele J., 1925. Gastropoda der Deutschen Tiefsee-Expedition. II teil. In: Chun C., Wissenschaftliche Ergebnisse der Deutschen Tiefsee-Expedition auf dem Damper Valdivia. 1898-1899. Gustav Fischer, Jena, 17(2): 35-382.   FEEDBACK / COMMENTS TO AUTHORS

Last update : December 2003 ©ciesm 2002