Epitonium tenellum

Taxobox
name = "Epitonium tenellum"
regnum = Animalia
phylum = Mollusca
classis = Gastropoda
subclassis = Prosobranchia
ordo = Heterogastropoda
familia = Epitoniidae
genus = Epitonium
species = "E. tenellum"
binomial = "Epitonium tenellum"
binomial_authority = (Hutton, 1885)
synonyms = "Scalaria lineolata" Hutton, 1873

"Epitonium tenellum" is a species of small predatory sea snail, a marine gastropod mollusk in the family Epitoniidae, the wentletraps.

Distribution

This wentletrap is endemic to south east Australia and the north east coast of the North Island of New Zealand.

Habitat

This species is found in silty sand, in sheltered shallow waters.

hell description

The shell is thin, fragile, acuminate, sculptured with many narrow lamellar axial ribs or costae.

The shell coloration is a light yellowish-brown, and a darker brown, narrow subsutural spiral band that continues across the base, making two bands on the last whorl.

Shell height is up to 22 mm, and width 10.5 mm.

References

* Powell A W B, "New Zealand Mollusca", William Collins Publishers Ltd, Auckland, New Zealand 1979 ISBN 0-00-216906-1