Mediterranean. Introduced in Galicia and in Cádiz bay. Grazer and deposit feeder in the very shallow infralittoral. The species is abundant in lagunar systems, on sheltered silty sand flats. Original taxon: Trochus adansonii. Synonyms: agathensis, conemenosi, ivanicsi, sulliottii, virescens… The shell of this species is very, very close to that of adriatica.
Specimens from Dardanelles Strait: beach drift, Kepez, Çanakkale, SW. Marmara Region, NW. Turkey. 8-11mm.
« Pretty shell, with five whorls, the last of which is swollen; tightly umbilicated; streaked transversally; golden yellow in color, with oblique, white and brown longitudinal spots, wider on the upper edge of each whorl and on the middle of the last one. […] Dedicated to our famous Adanson. » – op. cit. p.127.
The form “sulliottii” Monterosato bears the following characteristics: « wide umbilicus, round and large aperture, greenish coloration with two interrupted sagittal lines. […] Messina al faro (Sulliotti); Taranto, esemplari più grandi (Tiberi). » – T. A. di Monterosato: “Molluschi del porto di Palermo”, Bullettino della Società malacologica italiana vol. XIII, Pisa 1888, p.174. In fact, the only difference with usual adansonii is given by the general colour.
On rocks with algae, at 30cm deep, Lago Faro, Messina, NE. Sicily. 9mm.
