Algarve (« in stacked Octopus catchpots » – Bruins, 1985) to Angola (Nolf & Swinnen, 2010), Canarias, and Alborán Sea. Infralittoral and circalittoral, on soft bottoms with detritic sediments. Predator on sessile preys. The whorls are always flat, and bear numerous spiral cordlets adorned with small granules, like in young specimens of granulatum or zizyphinum. This juvenile appearance lasts for the lifetime.
 
« Slightly cœloconoid profile, not evident in juvenile specimens. Flat whorls, linear suture; first whorl of the teleoconch with three granulated cords; following whorls with three granulated cords, gradually increasing in number to a maximum of five on the last whorl, besides the basal carena. The superior sub-sutural cord is the most evident. Frequently, on the last and penultimate whorl, also 2-3 thin intermediate smooth cordlets occur. The cords are built up of large granulation, rounded and not aligned, except the first 2-3 whorls, with the oblique growth lines of the shell which are however barely visible. » – I. Nofroni: “A new Trochidae from the Mediterranean Calliostoma (Ampullotrochus) gubbiolii n. sp.”, La Conchiglia anno XVI, N. 178-179, p.3.

« In the first 3-4 whorls, the basal carena is made up of a less evident granulated cord. In the foollowing 2-3 whorls the carena (more evident) is built of of large granules, among which at regular intervals, can be seen several tubercles of a roughly rectangular shape of a lenght of 2-3 granules fused together and jutting out from cord and always preceded by a reddish brown blotch. In the last two whorls, the tuberculated carena is particulary evident and is built up by two superimposed cords, the inferior one being more evident and with the tubercles jutting out. Inferiorly, right above the suture, there is another faint cordlet. The last whorl is slightly more than half the total height of the shell. The aperture is roughly quadrangular and is almost ⅓ of the total height. The columella is arched with a nacreous interval surface and an evident basal notch. Lip simple, thin, trenchant, internally grooved. » – Ibid.

« gubbiolii is smaller than granulatum, it has a slightly cœloconoid profile (granulatum is strongly cœloconoid), less numerous spiral cordlets, base of the carena peculiarly ornated with jutting tubercles which give to the basal outline a characteristic waving, cordlets of the first 3-4 whorls with larger and less numerous granules. » – Op. cit. p.4. And the base is conspicuously flatter than in granulatum.