Superfamily Trochoidea Rank Species | ||
 | ||
Similar Phorcus, Phorcus atratus, Osilinus, Phorcus lineatus, Phorcus mutabilis | ||
Phorcus sauciatus is a species of sea snail, a marine gastropod mollusk in the family Trochidae, the top snails.
Contents
Description
The size of the shell varies between 11 mm and 27 mm. The imperforate, rather thin shell has a low conical shape. The coloration is excessively mutable, as well as the general form. Its ground color is greenish, especially on the body whorl, usually purplish on the spire, and either:
The pattern is sometimes so obscurely mottled, spirally and obliquely treaked, that it appears nearly uniform olivaceous, especially on the body whorl. The conic spire is more or less elevated. The minute apex is acute, reddish, when not eroded. The sutures are well impressed. The shell contains six whorls that are spirally more or less obviously, finely, irregularly striate or lirate. The body whorl is rounded or subcarinated at the periphery. The base of the shell is somewhat convex, more or less impressed around the axis, sometimes eroded in front of the aperture. The large aperture is very oblique. The outer lip contains a black-spotted green edge, which is generally followed by a broad thin opaque-white band, within which it is nacreous and iridescent. The oblique columella is thin-edged, the edge convex in the middle. The columellar area is white and more or less eroded. The umbilical tract is covered by a thick pad of enamel.
Distribution
This species occurs in the following locations: