Cerithium vulgatum
Bruguière, 1792 |
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Mediterranean to Algarve, on soft sediments, often with algae, from the upper infralittoral (for example, on sheltered shallow silty sand flats) to, at least, the upper circalittoral. Now trawled off SW. Brittany, between Groix and Belle-Île.
Grazer and detritus feeder.
Left: 6m deep, in sand pocket, Ligaria bay, Agia Pelagia, Heraklion, N. Crete. 56mm. Middle: 3m deep, on sand, town’s beach, Isola Rossa, NW. Corsica. 54mm. Right: 50cm deep, Poreč, Istria, NW. Croatia. 50mm. |
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if, in C. vulgatum, spiral cords are of two different types (cf. left detail), in C. protractum they are of equal width. This shell has an alternance of large and thin cords, and shows, also, in the large cords only, an alternance of strong and weak ones. Above: possibly downslope transported specimen of vulgatum, collected at 400m deep, in muddy grit, off Civitavecchia, Lazio, W. Italy. 37mm. This morph, remarkably turreted, with numerous strong varices and a marked suture, seems to inhabit in deeper water than the usual form. |
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| 25m deep, on mud, Chioggia, Venezia, NE. Italy. 32,5mm. |
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| Shallow water, on muddy sediment, Grau de Pisse Saumes, Marseillan-Plage, Hérault, S. France. Original picture provided by J. Renoult (FR) for iNaturalist – (CC BY-NC). |
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Two specimens from near Atlantic:
On exposed rocks with seaweeds, in tide pool, Chipiona, W. Cádiz, W. Andalucia, SW. Spain. 44-52mm, 2000.
B.J. Muñoz Sanchez legit (ES). |
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| Trawled on mud at 15m deep, Málaga, Andalucia. 36mm. |
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| The species in H. M. D. de Blainville: “Malacozoaires ou Animaux Mollusques”, Faune française, Paris 1828-1830?, plate VI A. |
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| Melanism in Kerkennah, Tunisia. 21-27mm. |
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The species in W. Kobelt: “Die Gattung Cerithium”, Systematisches Conchylien-Cabinet Bd.1:Abt.26,
Nürnberg 1898, plates 17-18, via BHL. |
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| Unusual colour. 8m deep, Sithonia Peninsula, Chalkidikí, Central macedonia, N. Aegean. 42,2mm. Original pictures provided by A. Nappo (IT) – (CC BY-NC-SA). |
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Port-Leucate, Occitania, S. France.
Original picture provided by A. Bertrand (FR).
– (CC BY-NC-SA) – |
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| A specimen in Thau lagoon, near Sète, Occitania. Notice the position of the eye on the cephalic tentacle. Original picture provided by P. Girard for iNaturalist – (CC BY-NC). |
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3m deep, Kaštelanski zaljev, Split, Dalmatia, S. Croatia. 63mm.
Original pictures provided by N. Lete (HR).
– (CC BY-NC-SA) – |