Taxonomy
- Kingdom: Animalia
- Phylum: Mollusca
- Class: Gastropoda
- Subclass: Caenogastropoda
- Order: Neogastropoda
- Superfamily: Conoidea
- Family: Raphitomidae
- Genus: Daphnella
- Species: Daphnella elata
- Authority: G. B. Sowerby III, 1893
Description
Daphnella elata is a marine gastropod mollusk commonly referred to as a sea snail. The shell reaches a length of up to 15 mm and a diameter of about 4 mm. It is turreted and spiraled, exhibiting a whitish‑golden yellow ground colour marked with numerous light brown spots. The spire is notably long, extending beyond that of most congeners. The shell comprises ten whorls; the first two form a smooth, brown protoconch, while the subsequent whorls are slightly angulated. The body whorl is roughly equal in length to the spire, slightly convex, and constricted below the middle. The aperture is small and oblong; the outer lip is crenulated. The sinus presents a short notch, and the siphonal canal is very short.
Distribution
This species is known from the Indian Ocean, specifically in marine waters off the island of Mauritius.
References
- Sowerby III, G. B. (1893). Daphnella elata. Proceedings of the Zoological Society of London.
- World Register of Marine Species (WoRMS). Daphnella elata G. B. Sowerby III, 1893. AphiaID: 529749. Accessed 2026.
- Tucker, J. K. (2004). Catalog of recent and fossil turrids (Mollusca: Gastropoda). Zootaxa 682: 1–1295.
This entry is based on publicly available taxonomic literature and database records.