Drillia macilenta

Drillia macilenta is a species of sea snail, a marine gastropod mollusk in the family Drilliidae.[2]

Drillia macilenta
Original image of the shell and protoconch of Drillia macilenta
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Mollusca
Class: Gastropoda
Subclass: Caenogastropoda
Order: Neogastropoda
Superfamily: Conoidea
Family: Drilliidae
Genus: Drillia
Species:
D. macilenta
Binomial name
Drillia macilenta
(Melvill J.C., 1923) [1]
Synonyms[2]
  • Clionella platysoma (E. A. Smith, 1877)
  • Surcula macella Melvill, J.C., 1923 (renamed)
  • Surcula macilenta Melvill, 1923

The type described by Barnard (1969) is smaller than Turris (Surcula) macella (Melvill, 1923). Kilburn (1988) supposed that this species was an undescribed Inquisitor or Agladrillia.[3][4] It is described in WoRMS as Agladrillia macella (Melvill, 1923) (original combination: Turris macella Melvill, 1923).

J.C. Melvill renamed in 1923 Surcula macilenta, as the preoccupied name had already been given to a Tertiary fossil species Murex macilenta as long ago as 1766 by Dr. Solander; later, in 1799, named by F. E. Edwards as Pleurotoma macilenta. For these reasons, Melvill renamed the species as Surcula macella.

Description

The length of the shell attains 17 mm, its diameter 5 mm.

The thin fusiform shell is gracefully attenuate. It is pale tan-coloured. It contains 9 - 10 whorls, of which the two whorls in the protoconch are pale, shining, and globose. The remainder are medially angled, suturally impressed and longitudinally ribbed. The ribs are broad, rather irregular, rounded and oblique. The whole surface is crossed very delicately by close revolving sulculose striae. The aperture is oblong. The anal sinus (in type specimen) is hardly expressed, but the shell may not have quite reached its full growth. The outer lip is thin. The columella is straight. The wide siphonal canal is abbreviate.[5]

Distribution

This marine species occurs in the demersal zone off South Africa.

References
  1. Melvill, J.C. (1923a) Descriptions of twenty-one species of Turridae (Pleurotomidae) from various localities in the collection of Mr. E. R. Sykes. Proceedings of the Malacological Society of London, 15, 162–171, pls. 4–5.
  2. Drillia macilenta (Melvill, 1923). Retrieved through: World Register of Marine Species on 19 October 2011.
  3. Barnard K.H. , 1969. Contributions to the knowledge of South African marine Mollusca. Pt 6. Supplement. Ann. S. Afr. Mus. 47: 595–661
  4. Kilburn, R.N., 1988. Turridae (Mollusca: Gastropoda) of southern Africa and Mozambique, Part 4 Drilliinae, Crassispirinae and Strictispirinae. Ann. Natal Mus., 29(1):167-320
  5. Proceedings of the Malacological Society of London v. 14-15 (1923) (described as Surcula macilenta)
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