Clanculus philippii

Clanculus philippii, common name Philippi's cone, is a species of sea snail, a marine gastropod mollusk in the family Trochidae, the top snails.^[1]

Clanculus philippii
Drawing showing a shell of Clanculus philippii
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Mollusca
Class:	Gastropoda
Subclass:	Vetigastropoda
Order:	Trochida
Superfamily:	Trochoidea
Family:	Trochidae
Genus:	Clanculus
Species:	C. philippii
Binomial name
Clanculus philippii (Koch in Philippi, 1843)
Synonyms
Clanculus conspersus A. Adams, 1853 Clanculus philomenae Tenison-Woods, 1876 Clanculus purpuratus Pilsbry, 1889 Clanculus raphaeli Tenison-Woods, 1877 Clanculus yatesi Crosse, 1863 Clanculus (Isoclanculus) philippii (Koch in Philippi, 1843) Clanculus (Isoclanculus) yatesi Crosse, H., 1863 Isoclanculus menkei A. Adams & Angas, 18?? Trochus philippi Koch in Philippi, 1843 (original description) Trochus yatesi Fischer, 1879

Description

The size of the shell varies between 7 mm and 13 mm. The very solid shell has a conical shape and is angulate at the periphery, with a very shallow umbilicus. It is white, variegated with maculations and radiating zigzag stripes of purplish red. The five whorls are planulate and turgid below the subcanaliculate sutures. The apical ones, when not eroded, are spirally striate, the following granose-lirate, the last bearing on its upper surface five coarse beaded lirae, the fifth forming the periphery. The base of the shell is slightly convex, bearing six beaded lirae. The interstices between the lirae are finely obliquely striate. The aperture is rounded-tetragonal, pearly within. The outer lip is lirate within. The basal lip is curved and subdenticulate. The short columella is hardly perceptibly folded above and dentate below. The umbilicus perforates scarcely deeper than the insertion of the straight columella.^[2]

Distribution

This marine species is endemic to Australia and occurs off South Australia, Tasmania, Victoria and Western Australia.