Agathotoma candidissima explained

Agathotoma candidissima, common name Cox's mangelia, is a species of sea snail, a marine gastropod mollusc in the family Mangeliidae.

Description

The length of the shell varies between 4 mm and 11 mm.

The white, oblong, turreted shell features 7 to 8 whorls, with the protoconch missing in the specimen described. The axial sculpture comprises 7 to 8 ribs, with a distinctive characteristic where some ribs on the body whorl turn abruptly at right angles towards the base of the columella. This feature is especially noticeable on the penultimate and the three or four preceding ribs. Near the top, just below the suture, the ribs are faintly angled. Additionally, faint dots appear on the base in the upper whorls and on the middle and lower parts of the body whorl, which may be easily overlooked. A few faint dots are also present between the ribs, just below the suture.

The aperture is elongate-ovate, accounting for approximately 3/7 of the shell's total length. The outer lip is thickened and slightly insinuate at the top. The siphonal canal is short, and the base of the shell is truncated.^[1]

Distribution

This species occurs in the Caribbean Sea, the Gulf of Mexico and the Lesser Antilles. Fossils have been found from the Early Pleistocene to the Middle Pleistocene in Southern Florida.^[2]

References

• Pfeiffer, L. 1840. Uebersicht der im Januar, Februar und März 1839 auf Cuba gesammelten Mollusken. Archiv für Naturgeschichte 6(1) 250-261
• C.B. Adams, Specierum novarum conchyliorum, in Jamaica repertorum, synopsis; Proceedings of the Boston Society of Natural History.v. 2 (1845-1848)
• Reeve, L. 1846. Monograph of the genus Mangelia. Conchologia Iconica 3 pls. 1-8
• Adams, C. B. 1850. Descriptions of supposed new species of marine shells, which inhabit Jamaica. Contributions to Conchology 4 56-68.
• Smith, E. A. 1882. Diagnoses of new species of Pleurotomidae in the British Museum. Annals and Magazine of Natural History (5)10 206-218
• Fargo, W. G. 1953. Pliocene Mollusca of Southern Florida. Part II. The Pliocene Turridae of Saint Petersburg, Florida. Monographs of the Academy of Natural Sciences of Philadelphia 18 365-409, pls. 16-24
• Rolán E., Fernández-Garcés E. & Redfern C. (2012) New records and description of four new species of the genus Agathotoma (Gastropoda, Mangeliidae) in the Caribbean. Novapex 13(2): 45-62.

External links

• Rosenberg, G., F. Moretzsohn, and E. F. García. 2009. Gastropoda (Mollusca) of the Gulf of Mexico, Pp. 579–699 in Felder, D.L. and D.K. Camp (eds.), Gulf of Mexico–Origins, Waters, and Biota. Biodiversity. Texas A&M Press, College Station, Texas
• Tucker, J.K. 2004 Catalog of recent and fossil turrids (Mollusca: Gastropoda). Zootaxa 682:1-1295.
  • Dowgiallo, Michael Joseph. Patterns in diversity and distribution of benthic molluscs along a depth gradient in the Bahamas. Diss. 2004.
• De Jong K.M. & Coomans H.E. (1988) Marine gastropods from Curaçao, Aruba and Bonaire. Leiden: E.J. Brill. 261 pp.

Notes and References

1. Smith . E.A. . Diagnoses of new species of Pleurotomidae in the British Museum . Annals and Magazine of Natural History . 1877 . 4 . 19 . 488–501 .
2. Web site: Neogene Atlas of Ancient Life in the Southeast of the United States: Agathotoma candidissima . 2017-02-26 . https://web.archive.org/web/20170227062356/http://neogeneatlas.org/species/agathotoma-candidissima/ . 2017-02-27 . dead .