Turritella declivis

Turritella declivis
	Shell of Turritella declivis
Scientific classification
Domain:	Eukaryota
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Mollusca
Class:	Gastropoda
Subclass:	Caenogastropoda
Family:	Turritellidae
Genus:	Turritella
Species:	T. declivis
Binomial name
	Turritella declivis; Adams & Reeve, 1850
Synonyms
	Gazameda declivis (Adams & Reeve, 1850); Turritella (Haustator) declivis A. Adams & Reeve, 1849 (Alternate representation); Turritella (Torcula) excavata G. B. Sowerby II, 1870 (junior synonym); Turritella excavata G. B. Sowerby III, 1870;

Turritella declivis is a species of sea snail, a marine gastropod mollusk in the family Turritellidae.^[1]

Description

The shell can reach a maximum length of 100 mm, though it typically measures less than 65 mm.

The shell is long and slender, with whorls that are flattened or slightly concave, giving them an inwardly hollowed appearance. The base of the body whorl is angular, and the aperture is small, slightly flaring at the base. The surface is marked by fine, curved axial growth lines that fade on the lower part of each whorl. There is no spiral sculpture present. The outer lip is thin and often shows signs of damage.

The shell is cream-colored, featuring a broad brown spiral band around the mid-whorl. In some specimens, the shell surface may be etched, causing the coloration to appear less distinct. Juveniles often display brown spots just below the suture. ^[2]

Distribution

This marine species is endemic to South Africa. It is common on the Agulhas Bank (Kei River to False Bay), in places hugely abundant and dominating the marine benthos; also found on West Coast, but evidently in much lower numbers

References

^ Vos, C. (2014). Turritella declivis Adams & Reeve in Reeve, 1849. Accessed through: World Register of Marine Species at http://www.marinespecies.org/aphia.php?p=taxdetails&id=731296 on 2014-06-12
^ Herbert, D.G., Jones, G.J. & Atkinson, L.J. (2018). Phylum Mollusca. In: Atkinson, L.J. and Sink, K.J. (eds) Field Guide to the Offshore Marine Invertebrates of South Africa. Pretoria: Malachite Marketing and Media. p. 289. ISBN 978-1-86868-098-6. Retrieved 17 October 2024.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link) This article incorporates text from this source, which is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license.

Adams A. & Reeve L. (1850) Mollusca [in] Adams A. (ed.) The zoology of the voyage of H. M. S. Samarang under the command of Captain Sir Edward Belcher, C. B., F. R. A. S., F. G. S., during the years 1843-1846. Reeve, Benham & Reeve: London. Parts I-III
Herbert, D. G. (2013) Turritella declivis Adams & Reeve, in Reeve, 1849 (Mollusca: Gastropoda) – a South African not an Australian species, and a characteristic component of the Agulhas Bank benthos. African Zoology 48(2):412-417 page(s): 412–417

[WoRMS-1] Vos, C. (2014). Turritella declivis Adams & Reeve in Reeve, 1849. Accessed through: World Register of Marine Species at http://www.marinespecies.org/aphia.php?p=taxdetails&id=731296 on 2014-06-12

[2] Herbert, D.G., Jones, G.J. & Atkinson, L.J. (2018). Phylum Mollusca. In: Atkinson, L.J. and Sink, K.J. (eds) Field Guide to the Offshore Marine Invertebrates of South Africa. Pretoria: Malachite Marketing and Media. p. 289. ISBN 978-1-86868-098-6. Retrieved 17 October 2024.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link) This article incorporates text from this source, which is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license.

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