Tritia nitida (Jeffreys, 1867)
Algarve to Adriatic.
Scavenger in the shallow infralittoral.
Original taxon: Nassa nitida.
Specimens from Grado, Gorizia province, N. Adriatic. 32-35mm.
Synonyms: acutior, bicolorata, monilifera…
A Nassa servaini Locard, from Cannes, Alpes-Maritimes, SE. France, syntype MNHN-IM-2000-6697 in the Locard collection at the Muséum National d’Histoire Naturelle de Paris. Original pictures provided by M. Caballer for the MNHN – (CC BY).
Nassa reticulata (3) and Nassa nitida (4) in J. G. Jeffreys: British conchology vol.V, London 1869, plate LXXXVII.
 
The author erroneously found specimens of nitida along the shores of the « muddy estuaries of Thames and Orwell rivers, in 3-5 f; abundant » – op. cit. vol. IV, London 1867, p.350. Hopefully, his description matched that of some specimens from SW. Europe and Mediterranean, recognized as true nitida, an event that consequently kept the taxon valid.
« Shell differing from N. reticulata in the following particulars: It is smaller, narrower, and remarkably glossy; the ribs are much fewer; […] occasionally the ribs are varicose; the spiral striae or ridges are also less numerous […] the apical whorls are quite smooth and lustrous […] the ribs being much more prominent than the striae, the lower half of the shell never displays the tubercular or cancellated appearance of the other species, although the upper whorls in this are somewhat nodulous. » – Ibid. p.349-350.

Variants curta, gratiosa, modesta, tenuisculpta, tricolor…
Cattolica, Rimini, Emilia Romagna, NE. Italy. 34-36mm.
Near the shuttle harbour at Anna Jacobapolder, in front of Bruinisse, Schouwen-Duiveland, Zeeland, SW. Netherlands. Original picture provided by v_s_ for iNaturalist.
– (CC BY-NC) –
2m deep, on sand, Salamina island, Attikí, SE. Greece. 26mm.
Praia dos Cavalos, Ria Formosa, Algarve, S. Portugal. 25mm.
Stocky small variant found in sediments at 20m deep, Mljet island, Dubrovnik-Neretva Comitat, S. Croatia. 15mm.
Original pictures provided by N. Lete (HR).
– (CC BY-NC-SA) –
Subadlut from 20m deep, Ilovic island, Cres-Lošinj archipelago, Primorje-Gorski Comitat, N. Croatia. 9mm.
Original pictures provided by N. Lete (HR).
– (CC BY-NC-SA) –
Broken juvenile from the early Holocene, found at 1m deep inside the sediment, 65m deep, Kornati channel, Šibenik-Knin Comitat, W. Croatia. 3,25mm. At this time, in the area, the sea level was about 50m lower.

— back to Nassariidae —