Vexillum turben, common name the spinning-top mitre, is a species of small sea snail, marine gastropod mollusk in the family Costellariidae, the ribbed miters.[1]

Vexillum turben
Shell
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Mollusca
Class: Gastropoda
Subclass: Caenogastropoda
Order: Neogastropoda
Superfamily: Turbinelloidea
Family: Costellariidae
Genus: Vexillum
Species:
V. turben
Binomial name
Vexillum turben
(Reeve, 1844)
Synonyms
  • Mitra turben Reeve, 1844 (original combination)
  • Vexillum (Pusia) turben (Reeve, 1844)
  • Vexillum turben kanaka Pilsbry, 1921

Description

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The length of the shell attains 22.7 mm, its diameter 12 mm.

(Original description) The shell is oblong-ovate, attenuated at the base. The spire is obtusely rounded. The sutures are rather deep. The shell is longitudinally very closely plicately fine-ribbed. The ribs and interstices are transversely impressely striated. The shell is orange-yellow. The columella is five-plaited with the plaits prominent. The aperture is striated within. [2]

(Described as Vexillum turben kanak ) The shell is similar to Vexillum turben (Reeve, 1844) (Philippine Islands) in sculpture and the ochraceous-buff or buff-yellow color, but the spire is more shortly and a little concavely conic above, the penultimate whorl is slightly swollen. There are six plaits, the upper one strong and horizontal. Within the outer lip there is a small fold, more prominent than the others about the upper third. [3]

Distribution

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This marine species occurs in the Indo-west and central Pacific, off Mozambique, the Philippines and Hawaii.

References

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  • Dautzenberg, P. & Bouge, L.J. 1923. Mitridés de la Nouvelle-Calédonie et de ses dépendances. Journal de Conchyliologie 67(1): 83-159
  • Cernohorsky, W.O. 1970. Systematics of the families Mitridae & Volutomitridae (Mollusca: Gastropoda). Bulletin of the Auckland Institute and Museum. Auckland, New Zealand 8: 1-190
  • Cernohorsky, W.O. 1978. Tropical Pacific marine shells. Sydney : Pacific Publications 352 pp., 68 pls.
  • Wilson, B. 1994. Australian marine shells. Prosobranch gastropods. Kallaroo, WA : Odyssey Publishing Vol. 2 370 pp.
  • Arnaud, J.P., Berthault, C., Jeanpierre, R., Martin, J.C. & Martin, P. 2002. Costellariidae et Mitridae de Nouvelle Calédonie. Xenophora. Association française de conchyliologie. Supplément 100: 52 pp.
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