Kilburnia heynemanni explained

Kilburnia heynemanni is a species of sea snail, a marine gastropod mollusk in the family Fasciolariidae, the spindle snails, the tulip (snails and their allies.

Description

The length of the shell attains 135 mm.

The large shell is broadly spindle-shaped. The spire is about half the total length of aperture. The whorls show a distinct shoulder bearing strong, widely spaced nodules. The body whorl is smooth or spirally ridged. The inner lip is expanded at the base of the siphonal canal to form a strong fold, with one to two weaker pleats above this. The parietal region has a crisp in-running ridge just below insertion of outer lip. The outer lip is not sharply drawn in at its base. The interior of outer lip is smooth. Specimens from shallow water are smaller and have a crenulate outer lip.^[1]

The colour of the shell is cream to pale orange-brown, with a darker yellowish-brown to dark brown periostracum.

Distribution

This marine species is endemic to South Africa and occurs off the Agulhas Bank (west to False Bay) and Transkei shelf, at depths between 25 m and 100 m.

References

• Book: Steyn DG and Lussi M. . Offshore shells of southern Africa: A pictorial guide to more than 750 gastropods. . 2005 . published by the authors . 148.
• Book: Marais JP and Kilburn RN. . Fasciolariidae. In: Marais AP and Seccombe AD (eds) Identification Guide to the Seashells of South Africa. Vol. 1. Groenkloof . 2010 . Centre for Molluscan Studies . 136.
• Aiken, R. & Seccombe, A. . Five new Gastropoda (Casmaria, Sassia, Kilburnia, Quasimitra and Calliostoma) from the eastern seaboard of southern Africa and a revision of Mitra boswellae . The Festivus . 2019 . 51 . 3 . 198–217.
• Snyder, M. A., Vermeij, G. J. & Lyons, W. G. . The genera and biogeography of Fasciolariinae (Gastropoda, Neogastropoda, Fasciolariidae) . Basteria . 2012 . 76 . 1-3 . 31–70.
• Book: Branch GM, Griffiths CL, Branch ML and Beckley LE. . Two Oceans. A guide to the marine life of southern Africa. Fourth edition. . 2016 . Struik Nature . Cape Town . 194.

Notes and References

1. Book: Herbert, D.G., Jones, G.J. & Atkinson, L.J. . Phylum Mollusca. In: Atkinson, L.J. and Sink, K.J. (eds) Field Guide to the Offshore Marine Invertebrates of South Africa . 2018 . Malachite Marketing and Media . Pretoria . 289 . 978-1-86868-098-6. 17 October 2024.