Renda & Micali, 2016
Deposit feeder in the continental shelf.
« The Strait of Messina and surrounding area is well known and considered by Bianchi (2004) as a biogeographical sector, characterised by the presence of plio-pleistocenic relict species of Atlantic origin. […] Actual presence of Atlantic species in the Strait of Messina is a well known situation, but [this] new species is not corresponding to any Atlantic species, therefore could be a local speciation of an Atlantic species of Vetulonia, occurred in the past geological period and survived in this area, or present also in other areas, but unrecognized. » – Renda & Micali: “Vetulonia giacobbei n. sp. from south Tyrrhenian Sea”, Boll. Malacologico vol. 52, p.56.
150-200m deep, off Bagnara Calabra, NW. Calabria, SW. Italy. 1,47mm. Original pictures provided by W. Renda (IT).
– (CC BY-NC-SA) –
« The new species is dedicated to Prof. Salvatore Giacobbe, for the important studies on the malacofauna of the Strait of Messina and surrounding areas.
Shell small, fragile, trochiform, with sharp collabral ribs. The protoconch consists of about 0.6 whorls, smooth, with a diameter of 250 µm. Initial portion of protoconch is elevated and inclined of about 20° with respect to teleoconch axis. The teleoconch has three rounded whorls, slightly angulated by the spiral cords. Suture is marked and undulated by the extremity of the ribs. Axial sculpture consisting in narrow, prosocline laminae, slightly flexuous, running from suture to suture. […] The spiral sculpture consists of three narrow spiral cords, which appear after two teleoconch whorls. The cords are irregularly spaced, with a wider space between the central and abapical one. Cords pass over the laminae forming small tubercles. An additional spiral cord runs at the periphery and five on the base, where they cross the continuation of the axial sculpture. Aperture tangential and prosocline. Columella vertical, straight, widened at the base and slightly re?ected towards the umbilicus. Peristoma continuous. The umbilicus very narrow, deep, partially covered by the expansion of columellar lip. » –Ibid. p.57-58.
Shell small, fragile, trochiform, with sharp collabral ribs. The protoconch consists of about 0.6 whorls, smooth, with a diameter of 250 µm. Initial portion of protoconch is elevated and inclined of about 20° with respect to teleoconch axis. The teleoconch has three rounded whorls, slightly angulated by the spiral cords. Suture is marked and undulated by the extremity of the ribs. Axial sculpture consisting in narrow, prosocline laminae, slightly flexuous, running from suture to suture. […] The spiral sculpture consists of three narrow spiral cords, which appear after two teleoconch whorls. The cords are irregularly spaced, with a wider space between the central and abapical one. Cords pass over the laminae forming small tubercles. An additional spiral cord runs at the periphery and five on the base, where they cross the continuation of the axial sculpture. Aperture tangential and prosocline. Columella vertical, straight, widened at the base and slightly re?ected towards the umbilicus. Peristoma continuous. The umbilicus very narrow, deep, partially covered by the expansion of columellar lip. » –Ibid. p.57-58.