Rictaxis Dall 1871

Rictaxis is a genus of minute sea snails or "bubble snails", marine gastropod mollusks or micromollusks in the family Acteonidae, the "barrel bubble" snails.^[2]

The genus name is derived from Latin words, meaning “open mouth”, and “axis” referring to the columella.

Species

Species within the genus Rictaxis include:

• Rictaxis albus (Sowerby, 1873)
• Rictaxis painei (Dall, 1903)
• Rictaxis punctocaelatus (Carpenter, 1864)
• Rictaxis sanguinea Valdès, 2008

Species that have been synonymized

• Rictaxis punctostriatus : synonym of Japonactaeon punctostriatus (C. B. Adams, 1840)

• Rictaxis albus Sowerby, 1873
  • Distribution : South Africa
  • Length : 10–21 mm
  • Description white shell with numerous spiraling white to lightbrown grooves
• Rictaxis painei Dall, 1903
  • Distribution : America
• Rictaxis punctocaelatus Carpenter, 1864 Barrel shell; Carpenter's baby bubble (synonym: Acteon punctocaelatus Carpenter, 1864)
  • Distribution : Southern Alaska, British Columbia, California
  • Length : 10–20 mm
  • Description : found in sand from lowtide line to depths up to 50 m; evenly elliptical shell with alternating darker brown and grayish-brown bands; outer lip and columellar folds are whitish; large spire; ovate columella strongly twisted, with a pointed posterior notch and a rounded base.

References