Relevant Synonyms Gena varia Adams A., 1850 Stomatella varia (Adams A., 1850) Stomatella auricula (Lamarck, 1816) Misidentification -  photo: K. Schniebs / Coll. F. Höhler

SHORT DESCRIPTION Shell ear-shaped, oblong, with 3 whorls, the body whorl by far the largest. Apex slightly raised, suture distinct but not deeply impressed. Surface of shell glossy, with sculpture of very fine spiral grooves and faint growth lines. Animal larger than the shell, with a very large foot produced posteriorly and not retractable into the aperture; no operculum. color : extremely variable, various tones of brown, green, pink, forming a variegated pattern more or less organized into spiral bands where a particular tone dominates. Inside of aperture nacreous. common size : 5.3 mm (the Mediterranean specimen), 12 mm in the Red Sea (Bosch et al., 1995), up to 25 mm in the Indo-Pacific. DISTINGUISHING CHARACTERISTICS This shell could only be mistaken for very young Haliotis, but lacks the spiral series of holes, has a finer sculpture than any species of Haliotis found in the area, and has a more evenly rounded body whorl. BIOLOGY / ECOLOGY In the Indo-Pacific, Stomatella species live on shallow rocky bottoms; they have nocturnal habits and retreat under stones during daytime. This animal easily autotomizes the posterior part of the foot, which can be regenerated. habitat : the Mediterranean specimen was found on a shell of Patella, but presumably inhabits the rocky substrate in general.

1st Mediterranean record Turkey, 2000 [1999]. DISTRIBUTION Worldwide: Indo-Pacific, including Japan, the Philippines, Indonesia, and the Red Sea; not reported from the Suez Canal. Mediterranean: recorded only in 1999 from Gönyük near Kemer, southeastern Turkey (Schniebs, 2000). ESTABLISHMENT SUCCESS Very rare, only known from the original record. speculated reasons for success : - MODE OF INTRODUCTION Unknown. IMPORTANCE TO HUMANS None.

KEY REFERENCES Bosch D.T., Dance S.P., Moolenbeek R.G. and Oliver P.G., 1995. Seashells of Eastern Arabia. Motivate Publishing, Dubai, 296 p. Schniebs K., 2000. Erster Nachweis einer Stomatelliden-Art im Mittelmeer (Gastropoda: Prosobranchia). Malakologische Abhandlungen, 20(11): 99-100. Wilson B., Wilson C. and Baker P., 1993. Australian marine shells. Prosobranch Gastropods part one. Odyssey, Kallaroo, Australia, 408 p. [Stomatella p. 74, pl. 11].   FEEDBACK / COMMENTS TO AUTHORS

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