Costulopsis nana (Jeffreys, 1867)
Norway to Azores, to Mediterranean, in infralittoral and circalittoral gardens. Predator on sessile preys (sponges).
Original taxon: Cerithiopsis tubercularis var. nana.
 
« Last whorl ovate-cylindrical, 40% of total height in fully grown specimens; base quickly tapering, imperforated, with distinct neck. Aperture oval, ending in a very short abapical canal inclined to shell axis; outer lip thin, crenulated by spiral cords, produced abapically; columella straight, with thick, broad callus; abapical sinus deep and rather narrow. » – Cecalupo & Robba: “The identity of Murex tubercularis Montagu, 1803 and description of one new genus and two new species of the Cerithiopsidae, Bollettino Malacologico vol.46, Milano 2010, p.60. – In grit at 50m deep, Almería, Andalucia, S. Spain. 3mm.
Differs from Cerithiopsis minima (Brusina, 1865) by the brownish protoconch. – 25m deep, Almería. 2,5mm.
85m deep, Saronic Gulf, Attikí, Greece. 2,4mm.
12m deep, Vouliagmeni area, Attikí. 2,35mm.
60m deep, Motril, Granada, Andalucia. 2,8mm.
The shell of nana is markedly less slender that in buzzurroi, and smaller. Notice the sinusigera lip of the transition protoconch-teleoconch (bottom-right detail).
Source: gruppomalacologicoscalaria.org.
Original pictures provided by A. Nappo (IT).
(CC BY-NC-SA)

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