Hastula raphanula

Hastula raphanula, common name (little) radish auger, is a species of sea snail, a marine gastropod mollusk in the family Terebridae, the auger snails.^[1]

Hastula raphanula
Apertural view of a shell of Hastula raphanula
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Mollusca
Class:	Gastropoda
Subclass:	Caenogastropoda
Order:	Neogastropoda
Family:	Terebridae
Genus:	Hastula
Species:	H. raphanula
Binomial name
Hastula raphanula (Lamarck, 1822)
Synonyms[1]
Duplicaria deynzerorum Sprague, 2004 Duplicaria raphanula (Lamarck, 1822) Subula raphanula (Lamarck, 1822) Terebra raphanula Lamarck, 1822 (original combination)

Description

The shell of Hastula raphanula varies in length from 30 mm to 80 mm and is characterized by its smooth, glossy surface and high, turreted shape with impressed sutures.^[2] The shell often exhibits axial sculpturing of crenulations below the slender ribs, and some species may show very weak spiral lines. Hastula raphanula is a sand-dwelling snail that burrows into the sand no deeper than its length. It is a carnivorous species, feeding primarily on polychaete worms.

The species was first described by Lamarck in 1822 and has several synonyms, including Duplicaria raphanula and Terebra raphanula. Hastula raphanula is part of a diverse genus that includes many other species of auger snails, each with unique characteristics and adaptations.

This marine shell occurs off South Africa, Chagos, the Mascarene Basin, the Philippines, New Guinea and the Fiji Islands.^[3][4]