Mitrella psilla (Duclos 1846)

Mitrella psilla is a species of sea snail in the family Columbellidae, the dove snails.

Type of larval development: direct (non-planktotrophic, intracapsular)

Shell 4.5-5.4 mm high, fusiform with last whorl mote than half the height. Protoconch a little more than one whorl, teleoconch four whorls. Outer surface smooth except for fine spiral striae on the abapical part of last whorl. Aperture subquadrangular, with 4-5 denticles on the inner side of outer lip and minute tubercles on the columella. Colour pattern very characteristic on protoconch, whitish with median brown spiral line; teleoconch brown with large subsutural white patches, white rounded blotches arranged in a quincuncial pattern over the shell and a pale median band on the last whorl.

West Africa, from Mauritania to Senegal and again in the provinces of Benguela and Namibe, Angola (Rolán, 2005). Introduced in Gulf of Tunis, Mediterranean Sea (Antit et al., in press).