Vexillum virgo

Vexillum virgo, common name : the virgin mitre, is a species of small sea snail, marine gastropod mollusk in the family Costellariidae, the ribbed miters.^[1]

Vexillum virgo
Vexillum virgo
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Mollusca
Class:	Gastropoda
Subclass:	Caenogastropoda
Order:	Neogastropoda
Superfamily:	Turbinelloidea
Family:	Costellariidae
Genus:	Vexillum
Species:	V. virgo
Binomial name
Vexillum virgo (Linnaeus, 1767)
Synonyms[1]
Mitra (Turricula) cruentata (Gmelin, 1791) superseded combination Mitra armillata Reeve, 1845 Mitra cruentata (Gmelin, 1791) Mitra cruentata var. proxima G. Nevill & H. Nevill, 1875 Mitra cruentata var. sandvichensis G. Nevill & H. Nevill, 1875· Mitra harpifera Lamarck, J.B.P.A. de, 1811 Mitra harpaeformis Lamarck, J.B.P.A. de, 1822 Vexillum (Costellaria) virgo (Linnaeus, 1767) Vexillum cruentatum (Gmelin, 1791) Vexillum harpiferum J.B.P.A. Lamarck, 1811 Vexillum proxima Nevill, G. & H. Nevill, 1875 Vexillum sandwichensis Nevill, G. & H. Nevill, 1875 Voluta cruentata Gmelin, J.F., 1791 Voluta virgo Linnaeus, 1767 (original combination)

Description

The shell size varies between 13 mm and 25 mm (half an inch to one inch).

The shortly conical shell is stout round the upper part. The spire is truncated, depressly^{[clarification needed]} hidden. It is transversely closely engraved throughout with very fine slightly punctured grooves. The shell is whitish or yellowish; the base is tipped with blackish violet. The columella is four-plaited, with a callosity at the upper part.^[2]

Distribution

This species occurs in the Red Sea and in the Indo-West Pacific and in the Pacific Ocean off Samoa; also off the Philippines and Australia (Northern Territory, Queensland) and Papua New Guinea.