Iredalea balteata

Iredalea balteata is a species of sea snail, a marine gastropod mollusk in the family Drilliidae.^[1] This species was first described by Augustus Addison Gould in 1860, who was an American malacologist.^[2]

Iredalea balteata
Two views of a shell of Iredalea balteata
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Mollusca
Class:	Gastropoda
Subclass:	Caenogastropoda
Order:	Neogastropoda
Superfamily:	Conoidea
Family:	Drilliidae
Genus:	Iredalea
Species:	I. balteata
Binomial name
Iredalea balteata (Gould, A.A., 1860)
Synonyms
Columbella (Anachis) balteata A. Gould, 1860 (superseded combination) Columbella balteata A. Gould, 1860 (superseded combination)

Description

The length of the shell attains 4 mm.

The Iredalea balteata has a small, elongated shell that is a length of approximately 4 millimeters.^[3]

The original description in Latin read:

The shell is small, rhombic, elongated, and glossy, with a straw-yellow color and a tawny stripe. It has seven whorls. The first three whorls are smooth, while the remaining whorls are marked with fine, lyre-like grooves and a line just below the suture. The areas between these grooves have crosswise striations. The aperture is narrowly crescent-shaped, and the lip is simple. ^[4]

The shell is slender and fusiform with ribs and fine spiral striations. It is typically light in color with darker bands, which is why it is named "balteata" which translates to "belted" in Latin.

Distribution

This marine species occurs off the Philippines and off Southern Madagascar. It is found in marine environments and inhabits sandy or muddy substrates at varying depths. It likely preys on small invertebrates in these environments.