Bittium reticulatum (da Costa, 1778) Variations

Variations of shape and sculpture in two specimens from Itános area, east of Sitía, NE. Crete. Sizes around 7mm.

Small specimens devoid of nodules collected on the shore at Georgioúpoli. Top: 3,8mm. Bottom: 4,1mm. Protoconches eroded. Notice the dark apical areas.

Two examples of the variant “exigua”. No nodules, weak varices. 2m deep, shell grit, Sfax, Tunisia. 7mm.

A mediterranean form, mostly found in high Adriatic, on muddy bottoms, is the variant “scabrum”. Subtidal, in mud, Chioggia, Venezia, NE. Italy. 9-10mm.

According to F. Agamennone, the keys to determination of the variant “scabrum” are: This is the darkest reticulatum in Mediterranean; No varices; The subsutural nodules seem to be the most prominent; The nodules are displayed on a square meshed grid.

Patterned reticulatum with some nodules, from shallow water, southern shore of Salses-Leucate lagoon, Occitania, S. France. 8mm.

A similarly patterned specimen from S. Croatia. 11mm. Original pictures provided by N. Lete (HR). – (CC BY-NC-SA) –

Young adult, in its beauty, from the northern shore of Káto Zákros bay, south-east of Sitía, E. Crete. 7,5mm.

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