Raphitoma laviae (Philippi, 1844) |
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Western and central Mediterranean to Aegean. Predator in the infralittoral. Original taxon: Pleurotoma laviae. « Dixi in memoriam cl. abbatis B. la Via. » (Philippi). Protoconch multispiral; teleoconch of circa 5 moderately convex whorls adorned with circa 20 axial ribs, orthocline to weakly opisthocline, crossed by slightly thinner spirals; the intersections of radial ribs and spiral cords give rise to some rounded rectangular tubercles, the subsutural row bearing the weakest, « thus forming no shoulder » (Manousis & al., 2018); aperture with a deep and narrow anal notch adapically, and a wide and short siphonal canal. The colour varies from pale orange to a dark brown, with occasional whitish tubercles, sometimes lined up, sometimes isolated. Close to R. corbis but usually darker coloured, smaller, with a less scalar shape and shorter tubercles (Pusateri & al., 2018). Differs from R. atropurpurea by its deeper notch on top of the labrum. 25m deep, Punta de la Mona, east of La Herradura, Granada, Andalucia, S. Spain. 12mm. |
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First whorl of protoconch smooth and paler than the following. Subadult from 26m deep, Punta de la Mona. 6,75mm. |
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