Kingdom Animalia Superfamily Buccinoidea Genus Mitrella Phylum Mollusca | Class Gastropoda Family Columbellidae Scientific name Mitrella ocellata Rank Species | |
Similar Mitrella, Columbella mercatoria, Cosmioconcha, Zafrona, Costoanachis | ||
Mitrella ocellata, common name the white-spotted dove shell, is a species of sea snail, a marine gastropod mollusk in the family Columbellidae, the dove snails.
Contents
Description
The size of the shell varies between 6 mm and 14 mm.
The small, oblong shell is pretty thick, cylindrical and smooth. It is fawn colored or red, dotted with small, round, white dots, disposed regularly in quincunxes, or in a net work. The spire is composed of eleven whorls, generally truncated at the summit. The whorls are subconnate, surrounded at their upper part by an articulated band of white and brown. The body whorl is ornamented towards its base with numerous transverse fine striae. The aperture is narrow, of a violet color. The outer lip is obtuse, thick, almost straight, interiorly having small folds or teeth in large quantities. The upper extremity forms the commencement of an emargination. All the external surface of this shell is covered by a membranous, reddish, thin periosteum, so transparent, that the colors are seen through it.
Distribution
This marine species has a wide distribution. It occurs in the Caribbean Sea, the Gulf of Mexico, in the Atlantic Ocean off Northeast Brasil, Ascension Island, St Helena and the Canary Islands and off West Africa.