Oxystele variegata

Oxystele variegata, common name the variegated topshell, is a species of sea snail, a marine gastropod mollusk in the family Trochidae, the top snails.

Oxystele variegata
Oxystele variegata
Scientific classification
Domain:	Eukaryota
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Mollusca
Class:	Gastropoda
Subclass:	Vetigastropoda
Order:	Trochida
Superfamily:	Trochoidea
Family:	Trochidae
Genus:	Oxystele
Species:	O. variegata
Binomial name
Oxystele variegata (Anton, 1839)
Synonyms
Diloma variegata (Anton, 1838) Oxystele impervius Menke, Schwarz, 1910 Oxystele sagittifera Lamarck, Smith, 1903 Oxystele sagittifera var. rufanensis Turton, 1932 Oxystele tabularis var. pulchra Turton, 1932 Trochus impervius Menke, 1843 Trochus indecorus Philippi, 1844 Trochus variegatus Anton, 1839 (original description)

Description

The size of the shell varies between 15 mm and 20 mm.

Distribution

This marine species occurs off the southern coast of South Africa, from Namibia to North Transkei.

References

• Steyn, D.G. & Lussi, M. (1998) Marine Shells of South Africa. An Illustrated Collector’s Guide to Beached Shells. Ekogilde Publishers, Hartebeespoort, South Africa, ii + 264 pp. page(s): 24
• Branch, G.M. et al. (2002). Two Oceans. 5th impression. David Philip, Cate Town & Johannesburg.
• Donald K.M., Kennedy M. & Spencer H.G. (2005) The phylogeny and taxonomy of austral monodontine topshells (Mollusca: Gastropoda: Trochidae), inferred from DNA sequences. Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution 37: 474–483.

External links

• "Oxystele variegata". Gastropods.com. Retrieved 16 January 2019.
• Contributions to the knowledge of South African marine Mollusca; Annals of The South African Museum vol. 47; 1963