Bittium reticulatum (da Costa, 1778)
Variations |
 |
| Variations of shape and sculpture in two specimens from Itános area, east of Sitía, NE. Crete. Sizes around 7mm. |
 |
| Small specimens devoid of nodules collected on the shore at Georgioúpoli. Top: 3,8mm. Bottom: 4,1mm. Protoconches eroded. Notice the dark apical areas. |
 |
Two examples of the variant “exigua”.
Shell more slender, no nodules, weak varices.
2m deep, shell grit, Sfax, Tunisia. 7mm. |
 |
A special form, mostly found in Adriatic and more specifically in lagunar environments, on muddy bottoms, is the Olivi’s “scabrum”. It shows only three rows of nodules on the late whorls, instead of the usual 4. Above, two subadults found in subtidal mud at Chioggia, Venezia, NE. Italy. 9-10mm. |
 |
According to F. Agamennone, the keys to determination of the variant “scabrum” are:
- This is the darkest reticulatum in Mediterranean;
- No varices;
- The subsutural nodules seem to be the most prominent;
- The nodules are displayed on a square meshed grid.
|
 |
| Fat shell from the early Holocene, found at 1m deep inside the sediment, 65m deep, Kornati channel, Šibenik-Knin Comitat, W. Croatia. 7,2mm. |
 |
| Specimens from the same spot. 5,1-5,5-6mm. |
 |
| Patterned “scabrum” from shallow water, southern shore of Salses-Leucate lagoon, Occitania, S. France. 8mm. |
 |
| A similarly patterned reticulatum (4 rows of nodules on late whorls) from S. Croatia. 11mm. Original pictures provided by N. Lete (HR) – (CC BY-NC-SA). |
 |
| Young adult, in its beauty, from the northern shore of Káto Zákros bay, south-east of Sitía, E. Crete. 7,5mm. |