Vexillum radius (Reeve 1845)

Vexillum radius, common name the shuttle mitre, is a species of small sea snail, marine gastropod mollusk in the family Costellariidae, the ribbed miters.^[1]

Description

The length of the shell attains 19.8 mm.

(Original description) The shell is slenderly fusiform. The spire is acuminated. The base is contracted and somewhat elongated. The whorls are longitudinally concentrically plicately ribbed. The interstices are cancellated. The shell has a pale flesh-colour. The body whorl is encircled towards the base with a pale brown band. The columella is two-plaited. ^[2]

Distribution

This marine species occurs in the Indo-West and South Pacific: off Mozambique, the Philippines, the Solomon Islands, Fiji and Papua New Guinea; also off New Zealand and Australia (Queensland)

References

• Sowerby, G.B. (2nd) 1874. Monograph of the genus Mitra. 1-46, pls 352-379 in Thesaurus Conchyliorum, or monographs of genera of shells. London : Sowerby Vol. 4.
• Cotton, B.C. 1957. Family Mitridae. Royal Society of South Australia Malacological Section 12: 8 pp.
• Cernohorsky, W.O. 1970. Systematics of the families Mitridae & Volutomitridae (Mollusca: Gastropoda). Bulletin of the Auckland Institute and Museum. Auckland, New Zealand 8: 1-190
• Cernohorsky, W.O. 1978. Tropical Pacific marine shells. Sydney : Pacific Publications 352 pp., 68 pls.
• Salisbury, R.A. 1999. Costellariidae of the World, Pt. 1. Of Sea and Shore 22(3): 124-136
• Salisbury, R. A. & Gori, S. (2019). Notes on a collection of Costellariidae from Palau Islands with descriptions of two new species (Gastropoda: Costellariidae). Acta Conchyliorum. 18: 7-20.