Vitreolina philippi
(Ponzi, de Rayneval & van den Heck, 1854)
Norway to Cabo Verde, Azores to central Mediterranean. The species is ectoparasite in the infralittoral and the circalittoral, on many sea-urchins: Arbacia lixula (Linnaeus, 1758), Centrostephanus longispinus (Philippi, 1845), Paracentrotus lividus (Lamarck, 1816), Psammechinus microtuberculatus (Blainville, 1825), Sphaerechinus granularis (Lamarck, 1816)…

Original taxon: Eulima philippi. Synonym: franquiae.
La Franqui, Leucate, Occitania, S. France. 2,2mm. Original pictures provided by S. Clanzig (FR) – (CC BY-NC-SA).
The labial shield extends out of the body’s shape.
Specimen from Laredo, Cantabria, N. Spain. 2mm.
« The Description and Figure of Philippi, vol.I, p.158, and II, p.135, tav.ix, fig.6, relating perfectly to our fossil, we propose to give it the name of E. Philippi » – Ponzi, de Rayneval & van den Heck: Catalogue des fossiles du Monte Mario (près Rome), recueillis par M. le Cte de Rayneval, Mgr Vanden Hecke et M. le professeur Ponzi, Versailles 1854, p.17. – Nota bene that the correct spelling of the species-name should have been “philippii” with two “i’s” for the genitive. – 4m deep, Cala d’Alivu, Isola Rossa, NW. Corsica. 3,5-3,75mm.
40m deep, off Le Scole, isola del Giglio, Toscana, W. Italy. 2,75mm.
Four specimens living on the dorsal face of a Psammechinus miliaris (P.L.S. Müller, 1771), seen at low tide, among rocks, Saint-Jean-de-Luz, Iparraide, SW. France.
Original picture provided by A. Bertrand (FR) – (CC BY-NC-SA).
3m, Anse des Fossettes, at the root of the eastern peninsula, Saint-Jean-Cap-Ferrat, Alpes-Maritimes, SE. France. 2,6mm.
Keys to identification given by E. Campani
in “Eulimidae Mediterranee”,
Documenti del Gruppo Malacologico Livornese, 2001:
 
Genus Vitreolina Monterosato: « La falsa sutura devia verso il basso prima della cicatrice, presentando un avvallamento, per curvare di nuovo verso l’alto dopo la cicatrice » (left detail). « Conchiglia larvale conica con angolo apicale maggiore di quello della teloconca » (right detail). – Species philippi: « Margine esterno del labbro proiettato fuori del giro », markedly, like in Nanobalcis nana (Monterosato, 1878).

85m deep, Saronic Gulf, Attikí, E. Greece. 2mm.
Same spot. 2,75mm.
Large specimen from 6m deep, Bozcaada island, Çanakkale province, W. Marmara, NW. Turkey. 4,3mm.
Details of the labial margins throughout the ages.

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