Alvania aurantiaca is a species of small sea snail, a marine gastropod mollusk or micromollusk in the family Rissoidae.
Taxonomy
The species was originally described as Rissoa aurantiaca by R. B. Watson in 1873. It was later reclassified into the genus Alvania. A synonym for this species is Alvania gomezi Rolán, 1987. The specific epithet aurantiaca is derived from the orange coloration of the shell.
Description
The shell is oblong, thick, not transparent, slightly glossy, tubercled, and rises in steps. The sculpture consists of 18 to 20 longitudinal ribs on the body whorl, which are gently rounded and disappear on the base. There are 12 to 13 raised, rounded, and shining spiral threads. The color is orange, with a slight dash of brown, though some specimens may be paler or darker. The labial rib is whiter than the rest of the shell.
The spire is long, very little contracted upwards, ending in a depressed round apex. The shell contains 4 to 8 whorls that are fully rounded. The aperture is very round, obtusely pointed above, and the outer lip is much thickened by the labial rib. The inner lip consists of the projecting edge of the outer lip, which sweeps continuously around, with an umbilical chink behind it.
Distribution
This species occurs in the Atlantic Ocean off Madeira.
References
- Watson, R. B. (1873). "On some marine mollusca from Madeira, including a new genus of the Muricinae, a new Eulima and the whole of the Rissoa of the group of islands." Proceedings of the Zoological Society of London. 1873: 361–391.
- Rolán E. (1987). "Alvania gomezi nomen novum para Rissoa aurantiaca Watson non Brusina." Publicações Ocasionais da Sociedade Portuguesa de Malacologia 8: 9–10.
- Gofas, S.; Le Renard, J.; Bouchet, P. (2001). "Mollusca." in: Costello, M.J. et al. (eds), European Register of Marine Species. Patrimoines Naturels. 50: 180–213.
