Iceland and Norway south to Gibraltar Strait, western Alborán. There is one occurrence off Algeria, under the taxon Buccinopsis striata Jeffreys, which is considered as a synonym, just as the Buccinum perexiguum of Dautzenberg. Found on the continental shelf and the upper slope.
« Shell oval, rather solid, opaque and somewhat glossy. Sculpture: several curved and flexuous longitudinal ribs on the last or body whorl, which are crossed by about as many spiral ridges, so as to give a cancellated or decussated appearance; each of the upper whorls (except those forming the apex, which are smooth) has also two or three of the same spiral ridges; the whole intermediate surface is covered with numerous fine and close-set spiral striae; the points of intersection between the ribs and ridges are more or less nodulous; colour pale yellowish-white; epidermis none; spire short; whorls 5-6, moderately convex; the last occupies three-fourths of the shell with the mouth placed upwards; the two upper whorls which compose the apex cylindrical and twisted; suture deepish; mouth oval and expanded, angulated above; length about three-fifths of the spire; canal very short, open, and truncated; outer lip semicircular, reflected, and having a thickened edge; inside slightly grooved in the direction of the spiral ridges; inner lip broad and glazed; pillar strong and flexuous. » – E. R. Sykes: “On the Mollusca procured during the Porcupine expeditions. Supplementary notes, part IV”, Proceedings of the Malacological Society of London vol. 9, London 1911, p.342.
« Shell oval, rather solid, opaque and somewhat glossy. Sculpture: several curved and flexuous longitudinal ribs on the last or body whorl, which are crossed by about as many spiral ridges, so as to give a cancellated or decussated appearance; each of the upper whorls (except those forming the apex, which are smooth) has also two or three of the same spiral ridges; the whole intermediate surface is covered with numerous fine and close-set spiral striae; the points of intersection between the ribs and ridges are more or less nodulous; colour pale yellowish-white; epidermis none; spire short; whorls 5-6, moderately convex; the last occupies three-fourths of the shell with the mouth placed upwards; the two upper whorls which compose the apex cylindrical and twisted; suture deepish; mouth oval and expanded, angulated above; length about three-fifths of the spire; canal very short, open, and truncated; outer lip semicircular, reflected, and having a thickened edge; inside slightly grooved in the direction of the spiral ridges; inner lip broad and glazed; pillar strong and flexuous. » – E. R. Sykes: “On the Mollusca procured during the Porcupine expeditions. Supplementary notes, part IV”, Proceedings of the Malacological Society of London vol. 9, London 1911, p.342.
This text and the image that comes with the description (pictured above – « Six dead specimens. In one of them the longitudinal ribs are wanting; it has stronger spiral ridges, and is smaller than the other specimens ») describe a specimen as young as the Buccinopsis striata of Jeffreys. In fact, oblitum can always be recognized « by its small size combined with a thickened outer lip, large aperture and spiral ribs with small knobs. » (Bouchet & Warén: “Revision of the Northeast Atlantic bathyal and abyssal Neogastropoda, excluding Turridae”, Bollettino Malacologico suppl. 1, Milano 1985, p.189.
400m deep, W. Alborán Sea. 40mm. Original pictures provided by B. Cunningham Aparicio (ES) – (CC BY-NC-SA).
Left: In C. Wyville Thomson: The depths of the sea. An account of the general results of the dredging cruises of H.M. SS. Porcupine and Lightning during the summers of 1868, 1869 and 1870, under the scientific direction of Dr. Carpenter, F.R.S., J. Gwyn Jeffreys, F.R.S., and Dr. Wyville Thomson, F.R.S., London 1873, p.464. Right: on the species page on WoRMS, image given by S. Gofas – (CC BY-NC-SA); h = 19mm.