Turritella sanguinea is a species of sea snail, a marine gastropod mollusk in the family Turritellidae.
Description The length of the shell varies between 30 mm and 45 mm.
The shell is relatively large, many-whorled, and long and slender, tapering gradually toward the apex. The whorls are convex, rounded outward, and are sculpted with relatively uniform, rounded or flat-topped spiral cords. The surface is dull, and the basal angle is not marked by a stronger spiral cord. The aperture is rounded, and the outer lip is shallowly concave.
The color ranges from cream to buff, with reddish-brown dashes along the spiral cords, occasionally forming axial flame-like patterns or bands.
Distribution This marine species is endemic to South Africa and occurs off Port Alfred to Southern KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa at depths between 30 m and 120 m.
References
Sowerby, G.B. Jr. (1870). Descriptions of Forty-eight new Species of Shells. Proc. Zool. Soc. Lond. (1870): 249-259 Tomlin, J. R. le B. (1925) Reports on the Marine Mollusca in the Collections of the South African Museum. Annals of the South African Museum. Vol. 20(4) (7), pp. 309–316. Kilburn, R.N. & Rippey, E. (1982) Sea Shells of Southern Africa. Macmillan South Africa, Johannesburg, xi + 249 pp Vine, P. (1986). Red Sea Invertebrates. Immel Publishing, London. 224 pp. Martens, E. von & Thiele, J. (1904) Die beschalten Gastropoden der Deutschen Tiefsee-Expedition 1898–1899. in Chun, C. (Ed.) Wissenschaftliche Ergebnisse der Deutschen Tiefsee-Expedition auf dem dampfer "Valdivia" 1898–1899. Vol. 7. pp. 1–180, Pls 1-29 & 1 text figure. Kobelt, W. (1897) Systematisches Conchylien-Cabinet von Martini und Chemnitz. Bd. 1, Abt. 27. Die Gattung Turritella. Nürnberg, Baner & Raspe. pp. 1–81, pls 1-21 Sowerby, G.B., III. (1892) Marine Shells of South Africa. G.B. Sowerby, London, iv + 89 pp., 5 pls. Steyn, D.G. & Lussi, M. (1998) Marine Shells of South Africa. An Illustrated Collector's Guide to Beached Shells. Ekogilde Publishers, Hartebeespoort, South Africa, ii + 264 pp.
External links Reeve, L.A. (1849). Monograph of the genus Turritella. In: Conchologia Iconica. vol. 5, pl. 1-11 and unpaginated text. L. Reeve & Co., London. Tryon G.W., jr. (1886). Manual of conchology, structural and systematic, with illustrations of the species. (1)8: Naticidae, Calyptraeidae, Turritellidae, Vermetidae, Caecidae, Eulimidae, Turbonillidae, Pyramidellidae. pp. 1-461, pls. 1-79, Philadelphia, published by the author Petit, R. E. (2009). George Brettingham Sowerby, I, II & III: their conchological publications and molluscan taxa. Zootaxa. 2189: 1–218 Two Oceans. 5th impression. David Philip, Cate Town & Johannesburg