Melanella boscii (Payraudeau, 1826)

Mediterranean. Ectoparasite of Holothurians (Aspidochirotida, Dendrochirotida…) in the infralittoral-circalittoral. Original taxon: Rissoa boscii. Synonym: brevis. The shell is completely smooth. Above: 1m deep, Sidi Youssef, west end of Gharbi, Kerkennah islands, Guf of Gabès, S. Tunisia. 3,8mm. Original pictures provided by A. Nappo (IT) – (CC BY-NC-SA).

15-16: Rissoa boscii in B. C. Payraudeau: Catalogue des Annelides et des mollusques de l’île de Corse, Paris 1826.   « Rissoa de Bosc: Testâ elongatâ, levigatâ, nitidâ, niveaâ ; anfractibus denis, convexiusculis ; aperturâ ovali ; circiter 6 lineas longâ. […] Shell pure white, with no striae, smooth, shiny, made of ten whorls in the complete specimens (usually lacking the last two ones); shallow suture. I dedicated it to Mr. Bosc, professor in the King’s garden and member of the Academy of Sciences. »

A specimen with a very angular periphery. 55m deep, Ognina, Catania, E. Sicily. 5,2mm.

The shell of boscii differs from that of petitiana by its protoconch, which is conical and not cylindrical.

8m deep, Villanova, Brindisi, Puglia, SE. Italy. 5,8mm. Original pictures provided by F. Vitale (IT). – (CC BY-NC-SA) –

Cap Ras, Llançà, Girona, Catalunya, NE. Spain. 4,4mm.

55m deep, Ognina, Catania. 3,65mm.

Same spot. 6,75mm.

45m deep, Cannizzaro, Catania. 6,7mm.

Same spot. 2,7mm.

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