Volutomitra obscura

Volutomitra obscura is a species of sea snail, a marine gastropod mollusk in the family Volutomitridae.

Volutomitra obscura
Shell of Volutomitra obscura
Scientific classification
Domain:	Eukaryota
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Mollusca
Class:	Gastropoda
Subclass:	Caenogastropoda
Order:	Neogastropoda
Superfamily:	Turbinelloidea
Family:	Volutomitridae
Genus:	Volutomitra
Species:	V. obscura
Binomial name
Volutomitra obscura (Hutton, 1873)
Synonyms
Mitra alboapicata E. A. Smith, 1898 Mitra mortenseni Odhner, 1924 Mitra obscura Hutton, 1873 Mitra pica Reeve, 1845 Waimatea obscura (Hutton, 1873)

Description

The length of the shell varies between 12 mm and 20 mm.

(Original description) The shell has an ovato-conical shape. The spire is acute. The whorls are subcarinate, those of the spire are transversely plicate. The body whorl is very finely longitudinally striated. The narrow aperture is spirally striated behind. The columella shows four plates, the anterior one small. The outer lip is angled and deeply notched in front. The shell is blackish brown, spotted with white, especially on the spire. The interior is purplish.

Distribution

This marine species occurs off New Zealand and Australia (South Australia, Tasmania, Victoria)

References

• Macpherson, J.H. & Gabriel, C.J. 1962. Marine molluscs of Victoria. Melbourne : Melbourne University Press & National Museum of Victoria 475 pp.
• 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
• Ludbrook, N.H. 1978. Quaternary molluscs of the western part of the Eucla Basin. Bulletin of the Geological Survey of Western Australia 125: 1–286
• Phillips, D.A.B., Handreck, C., Bock, P.E., Burn, R., Smith, B.J. & Staples, D.A. (eds) 1984. Coastal Invertebrates of Victoria: an atlas of selected species. Melbourne : Marine Research Group of Victoria & Museum of Victoria 168 pp.
• Wilson, B. 1994. Australian marine shells. Prosobranch gastropods. Kallaroo, WA : Odyssey Publishing Vol. 2 370 pp.
• Bouchet P. & Kantor Y. 2004. New Caledonia: the major centre of biodiversity for volutomitrid molluscs (Mollusca: Neogastropoda: Volutomitridae). Systematics and Biodiversity 1(4): 467–502
• Spencer, H.G., Marshall, B.A. & Willan, R.C. (2009). Checklist of New Zealand living Mollusca. pp 196–219. in: Gordon, D.P. (ed.) New Zealand inventory of biodiversity. Volume one. Kingdom Animalia: Radiata, Lophotrochozoa, Deuterostomia. Canterbury University Press, Christchurch.

External links

• Reeve L.A. (1844–1845). Monograph of the genus Mitra. In: Conchologia Iconica, vol. 2, pl. 1–39 and unpaginated text. L. Reeve & Co., London. [stated dates: pl. 1–7, August 1844; pl. 8–15, September 1844; pl. 16–19, October 1844; pl. 20–23, November 1844; pl. 24–27, December 1844; pl. 28–29, January 1845; pl. 30 imprinted March 1844, presumably March 1845; pl. 31–39, March 1845
• Odhner, N.H. (1924) Papers from Dr. Th. Mortensen's Pacific Expedition 1914–1916. XIX. New Zealand Mollusca. Videnskabelige Meddelelser fra Dansk Naturhistorisk Forening i Kjobenhavn, 77, 1–90, 2 pls.
• Smith, E.A. (1898). On a small collection of marine shells from New Zealand and Macquarie Island, with descriptions of new species. Proceedings of the Malacological Society of London. 3: 20–25.