Kingdom Animalia Class Gastropoda Family Pyramidellidae Rank Species | Phylum Mollusca Superfamily Pyramidelloidea Genus Otopleura | |
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Similar Longchaeus acus, Pyramidella, Pyramidella dolabrata, Pyramidellidae, Chrysallida | ||
Otopleura auriscati, common name the cat's ear pyram, is a species of sea snail, a marine gastropod mollusk in the family Pyramidellidae, the pyrams and their allies.
Contents
Description
The length of the shell varies between 10 mm and 30 mm
The smooth, white, solid shell has an ovate, elongated shape. The pointed spire is composed of ten or eleven slightly convex whorls, distinct and separated by a narrow scaffolding accompanying the suture, which is somewhat undulated. The body whorl is almost as large as all the others together. All whorls are longitudinally ribbed, extremely regular, often terminated at their summit by a small tubercle at the sutures. The shell has spiral rows of chestnut spots. The interstices of the ribs are spirally striated with fine transverse striae .
The coloring of this shell is whitish. The shell is ornamented with reddish spots arranged in transverse series, almost always united, and forming three bands upon the upper whorls, and five upon the body whorl. Upon this is often seen also, a large brown and irregular blotch. The aperture ovate, elongated, narrow, and slightly oblique. The outer lip is thick, white, forming a little gutter at .the base. The columella is imperforate at its lower extremity, oblique, bearing three unequal folds. The first is more prominent, is horizontal, thin, and sharp; the two others are oblique and smaller.
Distribution
This species occurs in the following locations: