Pseudomelatoma moesta is a species of small sea snail, a marine gastropod mollusk in the family Pseudomelatomidae.[1]

Pseudomelatoma moesta
Shells of Pseudomelatoma moesta (specimens at Naturalis Biodiversity Center)
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Mollusca
Class: Gastropoda
Subclass: Caenogastropoda
Order: Neogastropoda
Superfamily: Conoidea
Family: Pseudomelatomidae
Genus: Pseudomelatoma
Species:
P. moesta
Binomial name
Pseudomelatoma moesta
(Carpenter, 1864)
Synonyms[1]
  • Drillia moesta Carpenter, 1864
  • Pseudomelatoma moesta maculata Williamson, 1905

Description

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The length of the shell attains 30 mm, its diameter 10 mm.

The shell is dark brown under an olivaceous epidermis, with about ten curved longitudinal ribs, obsoletely nodulous on the periphery, with the whorls usually slightly constricted above it. The ribs are generally obsolete on the body whorl of adult specimens. The suture is narrowly corded, noduled and spotted. The aperture is chocolate within.[2]

Distribution

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This marine species occurs off California, USA.

References

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  • Carpenter, Journ. de Conchyl., ser. 3, vol. 12, p. 146, April, 1865.
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  • Tucker, J.K. (2004). "Catalog of recent and fossil turrids (Mollusca: Gastropoda)" (PDF). Zootaxa. 682: 1–1295. doi:10.11646/zootaxa.682.1.1.