Petalopoma elisabettae Schiapparelli, 2002
Italy, Sicily…
Predator on sponges in the infralittoral and the circalittoral.
20-30m deep, on detritic bottom, in a cave of Capo Palinuro, Salerno, Campania, SW. Italy. 5mm.
Differs from Tenagodus obtusus in the appearance of the slit: thin and regular in obtusus, large and irregular in elisabettae.
Same spot. 5mm.
Above and below:
33m deep, in shell grit, Secche di Tor Paterno, off Torvajanica, Roma, Lazio, SW. Italy. 4-9mm.
Shell « loosely coiled, following an irregular logarithmic spiral; protoconch disjunct from the other whorls; system of radial cracks well-developed; surface smooth (except for the cracks), beige […] Slit very irregular in shape and width, alternating portions with a constant width of about 120µm with broader regions forming a sinus of 600µm. » – S. Schiaparelli: “Taxonomy of the family Siliquariidae (Mollusca, Caenogastropoda) in Eastern Atlantic Ocean and Mediterranean Sea: description of a new genus and a new species”, Italian Journal of Zoology vol. 69, 2002, p.250.

A highly variable species. 5-7,5mm.
« This species is dedicated to my mother Elisabetta. »
Specimens from La Ciotat, Provence, S. France. 4,25-7,7mm.
25m deep, under a rocky wall between Sapri and Acquafredda, Campanian border, SW. Italy. 6mm.
In this species, the outer margin of the slit is always notched, in a way that seems random (but probably should not be).
40m deep, Cavtat area, S. Croatia. 5,7mm.
36m deep, San Giovanni Li Cuti, Catania, E. Sicily. 7mm.
Same spot. 4mm.

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