(Dautzenberg, 1881 ex Monterosato MS)
Portugal to Canarias, to Mediterranean. Grazer and deposit feeder in the shallow infralittoral. Original taxon: Trochus gravinae. Synonym: parvosiculus Ghisotti & Melone, 1975. The shell of this species bears a strongly striated peripheral bead. It differs from that of karpathoensis by the more regular pattern of alternatively pale and white dots on the spiral cords.
Shallow water, Livorno, Toscana, W. Italy. 5-6mm.
Source: gruppomalacologicoscalaria.org.
Original pictures provided by A. Nappo (IT).
– (CC BY-NC-SA) –
The whorls are flat, the shape conical. The suprasutural cord can be smooth as well as knobby. At least two clines exist: the occidental one (Atlantic, W. Mediterranean) bears fewer spiral cords (5-6) than the oriental one (6-8), with a special mention to Messina area, where shells can have 9 to 12 cords per whorl.
On stones among algae, Ghjunchitu bay, Isola Rossa, NW. Corsica. 6mm.
Above: 5m deep, under rock, Los Organos, San Andrés, NE. Tenerife, Canarias. 4mm.
