Steromphala varia

Steromphala varia is a species of sea snail, a marine gastropod mollusk in the family Trochidae, the top snails.^[2]

Steromphala varia
Five views of a shell of Steromphala varia
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Mollusca
Class:	Gastropoda
Subclass:	Vetigastropoda
Order:	Trochida
Superfamily:	Trochoidea
Family:	Trochidae
Subfamily:	Cantharidinae
Genus:	Steromphala
Species:	S. varia
Binomial name
Steromphala varia (Linnaeus, 1758)[1]
Synonyms[2]
Gibbula depressa Risso, 1826 Gibbula mocquerisi Pallary, 1906 Gibbula varia (Linnaeus, 1758) Gibbula varia var. mandarina Monterosato 1888 Gibbula varia var. marginata Monterosato 1888 Gibbula varia var. tumidosa Monterosato 1888 Gibbula variegata Risso, 1826 Trochus elatus Brusina, 1865 Trochus gibbosulus Brusina, 1865 Trochus laevigatus Gmelin, 1791 Trochus roissyi Payraudeau, 1826 Trochus varius Linnaeus, 1758 (original description) Trochus varius var. marmorata Bucquoy, Dautzenberg & Dollfus 1884

Description

The size of the shell varies between 8 mm and 15 mm. The solid, umbilicate shell has a conical shape. Its color is a dull, lusterless yellowish white or pinkish, with flexuous radiating cinereous or violaceous stripes below the suture. tTe entire surface is finely mottled and dotted with yellowish or violaceous and white. The short spire is conical, not acuminate as in Gibbula ardens and Gibbula umbilicaris. The about six whorls are flattened and separated by slightly impressed sutures. They are encircled by numerous fine striae. The body whorl is obtusely angular at the periphery. The large aperture is very oblique and is smooth within. The oblique columella is straightened. The umbilicus is funnel-shaped and whitish within.^[3]

This species is host to the ectoparasites Trochicola entericus Dollfus, 1914 and Lichomolgus trochi Canu, 1899^[2]

Distribution

This species occurs in the Mediterranean Sea and in the Atlantic Ocean off Portugal.^[2]