Music Dovesnail

Mitrella scripta, the music dove shell, is a species of sea snail in the family Columbellidae, the dove snails.^[1]

Description

The shell of an adult Mitrella scripta grows to a length of about 18 millimetres (0.71 in). This sea snail is a high spired, biconic columbellid with smooth, unsculptured shells and a denticulated inner surface of the external lip. The surface of the shell usually is white with a patching of pale brown on the whorls.

Distribution

This species occurs in European waters (Spain, Portugal, Madeira), the Mediterranean Sea and in the Indian Ocean off Tanzania.

References

• Spry, J.F. (1961). The sea shells of Dar es Salaam: Gastropods
• Gofas, S.; Le Renard, J.; Bouchet, P. (2001). Mollusca, in: Costello, M.J. et al. (Ed.) (2001). European register of marine species: a check-list of the marine species in Europe and a bibliography of guides to their identification. Collection Patrimoines Naturels, 50: pp. 180–213