Vexillum patulum

Vexillum patulum, common name the wide-mouth mitre, is a species of small sea snail, marine gastropod mollusk in the family Costellariidae, the ribbed miters.^[1]

Vexillum patulum
Shells of Vexillum patulum (specimen at Naturalis Biodiversity Center)
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Mollusca
Class:	Gastropoda
Subclass:	Caenogastropoda
Order:	Neogastropoda
Superfamily:	Turbinelloidea
Family:	Costellariidae
Genus:	Vexillum
Species:	V. patulum
Binomial name
Vexillum patulum (Reeve, 1845)
Synonyms
Mitra lurida W. H. Turton, 1932 (junior synonym) Mitra merula G. B. Sowerby III, 1889 Mitra patula Reeve, 1845 (original combination) Mitra simplex Dunker, 1846 (junior synonym) Mitra simplex var. alfredensis W. H. Turton, 1932 (junior synonym) Pusia patula (Reeve, 1845) Vexillum alfredensis (L.A. Reeve, 1845) Vexillum fidis (L.A. Reeve, 1845) Vexillum lurida (L.A. Reeve, 1845) Vexillum simplex (L.A. Reeve, 1845) Vexillum (Pusia) patulum (Reeve, 1845)

Description

The length of the shell attains 18 mm.

(Original description) The ovate shell is rather thin, slightly ventricose, smooth. It is ash-coloured, variegated and clouded here and there with brown. The columella is four-plaited. The aperture is large. The outer lip is thin and sinuated at the upper part. ^[2]

Distribution

This marine species occurs off South Africa.