Philine scabra Muller 1784

Philine scabra (Müller, 1784)

Fig. 19 k–n

Bulla scabra Müller, 1784 (p. 90, pl. 71, figs. 1–3).

Philine scabra Muller—Hidalgo 1917 (p. 552).

Philine (Hermania) scabra (O.F. Müller, 1776) — Nordsieck 1972 (p. 19, pl. O III, fig. 2). Philine scabra (Müller, 1776) — Thompson & Brown 1976 (p. 34, figs. 13A–C). Philine scabra (O.F. Müller, 1776) — Poppe & Goto 1991 (p. 197).

Philine scabra (Mueller, 1784) — Cossignani et al. 1992 (fig. 235); Repetto et al. 2005 (p. 264, mid right fig.). Philine scabra (Müller, 1784) — Campani 2004 (p. 7, bottom fig).

Diagnostic characters. High ovate-subrectangular shell; slightly sunken spire; large piriform aperture; broadly arched columellar lip; finely denticulate outer lip margin; densely set spiral rows of shallow oval pits, linked one another in a chain-like pattern. Protoconch: heterostrophic, largely covered by the teleoconch; about 1 visible whorl; diameter about 520 µm (estimated); surface apparently smooth; transition to the teleoconch marked by a simple lip.

Remarks. The similar P. c a t e n a (Montagu, 1803) differs in having a shorter shell, a non-denticulate outer lip margin and a more evident chain-like sculptural pattern.

Occurrence. Box-corer sample BC72 (3 specimens); core BC21 (1). Maximum height: 3.5 mm.

Distribution and habitat. The species ranges from Iceland and Norway to West Africa, Madeira and the Mediterranean, dwelling on sand from the lower shore to about 1500 m depth and often being prey of flatfishes (Thompson & Brown 1976; Poppe & Goto 1991).

Fossil record. Pliocene of Sicily (Monterosato 1872).