Pseudomelampus exiguus
(Lowe, 1832)
Cabo Verde and Canarias to southern Biscaye Bay, Azores to W. Mediterranean. Grazer and detritus feeder in the littoral.
Original taxon: Melampus exiguus.
 
Synonyms: biscayensis, canariensis, jolyi… Also kochi Pallary, 1900, who writes: « Shell small […] with a short and obtuse spire, reminiscent of some Melampus such as M. luteus. Test adorned with thin decurrent striae, regular and slightly wavy. Aperture narrow, very elongate, with three parietal folds […] Labrum subparallel to the columella, thickened in the middle, but not denticulate. » – P. Pallary: “Coquilles marines du littoral du département d’Oran”, Journal de Conchyliologie vol. 48(3), Paris 1900, p.241.

Immature specimen trawled at 5-15m deep (downslope transportation), Málaga, Andalucia, S. Spain. 3,5mm.
Adult specimen from the Playa de Cabopino, between Marbella and La Cala de Mijas, Málaga. 5,07mm.
Littoral, on rock, on the shore east of Martinhal, Sagres area, Algarve, S. Portugal. Original picture provided by G. Jouvenez for iNaturalist – (CC BY-NC).
At low tide on rock, near Urrugne, east of Hendaye, SW. France. Original picture provided by G. Jouvenez for iNaturalist – (CC BY-NC).
Shape variation.
 
At left, this biscayensis matches the description made by Pallary for his kochi. The same author described also the Pseudomelampus jolyi, which is « more globose than the previous one, higher, but wider ». Here, the exiguus at right is the jolyi of Pallary.

Images taken from H. Fischer’s “Description d’une espèce nouvelle de Melampus provenant du Golfe de Gascogne”, Journal de Conchyliologie vol. 48, Paris 1900, p.67.

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