Grazer and detritus feeder in the infralittoral.
Original taxon: Helix variabilis.
12m deep, Scilla, Calabria, SW. Italy. 6-7mm.
In Posidonia, Playas de Lorca, Murcia, S. Spain. 9mm.
In seaweeds at 5m, Giens Peninsula, Var, S. France. 7mm.
« The predominant species in several localities of our Riviera is the Rissoa variabilis Mühlf (fig. 158), which has a milky white shell adorned with reliefs and longitudinal spots of reddish-brown colour, and a peristome rimmed with violet. » – R. Issel: Biologia marina, Milano 1918, p.417.
Variants brevis, elongata…
Variation affects also the density and the strength of the patterning. 8m deep, at base of submarine bank of conglomerate, east of Mochlos, E. Lasithi, N. Crete. 5mm. There is often at least a trace of purple in the mouth.
« Shell […] fairly solid, high, turriculate. Spire conical, pointed at the top, composed of nine convex whorls, provided with longitudinal ribs, spaced, large, projecting, rounded and subnodulous at their middle part. On the last whorl, the ribs diminish at the base and disappear at a certain distance from the bead of the labrum. Surface crossed by numerous decurrent streaks filled with hollow points visible only with a magnifying glass. Aperture oval with continuous peristome. Columella very slightly flexed, directed obliquely. Labrum rounded, a little callous on the inside and externally provided with a rather pronounced bead. » – Bucquoy, Dautzenberg & Dollfus: Les mollusques marins du Roussillon vol. I, Paris 1884, p.264. – In Posidonia meadow, Anse des Fossettes, at the root of the eastern peninsula, Saint-Jean-Cap-Ferrat, Alpes-Maritimes, SE. France. 7,2-7,5mm.
« Colouring very variable, most often a subhyalin white crossed by numerous decurrent lines or by a series of dark brown punctuations. The ribs and bead of the labrum stand out against the opaque white background. » – Ibid.
6m deep, in grit among Posidonia patches, Percepina coast, west of Ghjunchitu bay, Isola Rossa, NW. Corsica. 5,5mm.
The accentuated spiral pattern at the base of the last whorl is almost a constant. – Subadult from Posidonia field,
10m deep, Vignola bay, Marina di Davia, Corbara, NW. Corsica. 6,6mm.
Bottom: microsculpture on the last whorl.