Clavus hottentotus

Clavus hottentotus
Apertural view of a shell of Clavus hottentotus (museum specimen at Naturalis Biodiversity Center)
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Mollusca
Class:	Gastropoda
Clade:	Caenogastropoda
Clade:	Hypsogastropoda
Clade:	Neogastropoda
Superfamily:	Conoidea
Family:	Drilliidae
Genus:	Clavus
Species:	C. hottentotus
Binomial name
Clavus hottentotus (Smith E. A., 1882)
Synonyms[1]
Austrodrillia hottentota (E. A. Smith, 1882) Clavatula hottentota (E. A. Smith, 1882) Crassispira hottentota (E. A. Smith, 1882) Drillia hottentota (E. A. Smith, 1882) Pleurotoma (Clavus) hottentota E. A. Smith, 1882 Pleurotoma hottentota Smith E. A., 1882 Tylotiella hottentota (E. A. Smith, 1882)

Clavus hottentotus is a species of sea snail, a marine gastropod mollusk in the family Drilliidae.^[1]

Description

The length of the narrowly claviform shell varies between 12 mm and 15 mm. The color of the shell is brown to brownish-orange. The upper interrupted white band is situated around the top of the ribs. Just above each rib there is a faint brown spot. The exterior of the outer lip is whitish. The protoconch is blunt. The 6 teleoconch whorls are not shouldered. They are slightly impressed on top and slightly convex below. The opisthocline axial ribs do not undulate on base. The spiral threads are microscopic or absent, except 6 to 7 on the rostrum. The terminal varix is weak. The subsutural region is dark. The aperture is oblong-ovate. The anal sinus is large and U-shaped. The siphonal canal is short and moderately wide and is not dorsally notched. The callus on the columellar lip is thick. The outer lip is thin and slightly curved.^{[2] [3]}

Distribution

This marine species occurs off Cape Agulhas and West Transkei, South Africa

References

1. Bouchet, P. (2015). Clavus hottentotus (E. A. Smith, 1882). In: MolluscaBase (2015). Accessed through: World Register of Marine Species at http://www.marinespecies.org/aphia.php?p=taxdetails&id=833793 on 2016-08-11
2. Kilburn, R.N. & Rippey, E. (1982) Sea Shells of Southern Africa. Macmillan South Africa, Johannesburg, xi + 249 pp. page(s): 117
3. Smith E.A. 1882, Diagnoses of new species of Pleurotomidae in the British Museum. Ann. Mag. Nat. Hist. series 5 v. 10: p. 209

• Kilburn R.N. (1970). Taxonomic notes on South African marine mollusca, I. Annals of the Cape Provincial Museums 8(4):39-48.
• Steyn, D.G. & Lussi, M. (1998) Marine Shells of South Africa. An Illustrated Collector’s Guide to Beached Shells. Ekogilde Publishers, Hartebeespoort, South Africa, ii + 264 pp. page(s): 152

External links

• Gastropods.com: Clavus (Tylotiella) hottentota