(Montagu, 1803)

Description (shell):
Shell is small and conical, with a blunt apex and intucked protoconch. There are four postlarval whorls, each with a narrow flattened shelf below the suture. Whorls are slightly convex, sutures deeply incised. Growth lines are prosocline, thickened at their adapical ends; these mimic the appearance of small costae. Each whorl in the spire has one prominent spiral ridge above suture. Last whorl has 2-3 ridges at periphery and it occupies about two thirds of shell height. Aperture is oval, flared below; it occupies about 40 % of shell height. The umbilical groove is slight. A slight tooth is present. The outer lip shows a short anal sinus and a small peripheral bulge.

Size:
Up to 2.1 x 1.2 mm.

Colour:
White to cream.

Animal:
The animal does not seem to have been described.

Habitat:
Lives at and just below LWST; their host is not known; they are rare.

Distribution:
A southern species extending north from the Mediterranean to the British Isles where it has been found off most coasts, though most finds are of dead shells (Distr. C. nivosa).

Kingdom Animalia
Phylum Mollusca
Class Gastropoda
Subclass Heterobranchia
Order Heterostropha
Family Pyramidellidae
Genus Chrysallida
Species Chrysallida nivosa

Status in World Register of Marine Species

Accepted name: Chrysallida nivosa (Montagu, 1803)

Scientific synonyms and common names

Turbo nivosus Montagu, 1803
Odostomia cylindrica Alder, 1844
Odostomia nivosa
Jordaniella nivosa

Aartsen, J.J. van, 1977. European Pyramidellidae: I. Chrysallida . Conchiglie, 13: 49-64.

Graham, Alastair F.R.S., 1988. Molluscs: Prosobranch and Pyramidellid Gastropods. Synopses of the British fauna (NS), 2: 1-662.

Seaward, D.R., 1990. Distribution of the marine molluscs of north west Europe. Nature Conservancy Council.

You can continue searching for Chrysallida nivosa on one of these Web sites:

Fauna Europaea (animals) | IOPI (plants) | NCBI (genetic)

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