Cabestana cutacea, the Mediterranean bark triton, is a species of predatory sea snail, a marine gastropod mollusk in the family Cymatiidae.
Description The adult shell size varies between 25 mm and 90 mm.
The revolving ribs are elegantly sculptured into close, beadlike nodules. The shell is light yellowish brown, white within the aperture.
The epidermis differs from that of most of the Tritons in being a thin, smooth skin.
Philippi describes the animal thus: Body on the upper part painted with irregular spots of dark purple, which are separated by narrow white lines; foot pale violet above, marbled on the sides, and speckled here and there with reddish spots which are edged with white.G.W. Tryon (1880-1881) Manual of Conchology III, Academy of natural Sciences, Philadelphia
Distribution This species is found in European waters (Spain); in the Atlantic Ocean off the Canary Islands, the Azores and the Cape Verdes; and off Mozambique and South Africa.
List of synonyms
Aquillus cutaceus (Linnaeus, 1767) Aquillus cutaceus var. major Pallary, 1920 Aquillus dolarium (Linnaeus, 1767) Aquillus dolarium attenuata (f) Pallary, P., 1920 Aquillus dolarium elongata (f) Pallary, P., 1920 Aquillus dolarium major (f) Pallary, P., 1920 Cabestana costata Röding, 1798 Cabestana cutacea cutacea (Linnaeus, 1767) Cabestana dolaria (Linnaeus, 1767) Cabestana doliata Röding, 1798 Cymatium doliarium Linnaeus 1767 Murex cutaceus Linnaeus, 1767 Murex dolarium Linnaeus, 1767 Murex succinctus Risso, 1826 Ranella lemania Risso, 1826 Ranella tuberculata Risso, 1826 Simpulum dolarium (Linnaeus, 1767) Simpulum dolarium var. elongata Pallary, 1903 Triton africanum Adams A., 1855 Triton cutaceum (Linnaeus, 1767) (incorrect gender agreement of specific epithet) Triton cutaceus (Linnaeus, 1767) Triton cutaceus var. curta Buquoy, Dautzenberg & Dollfus, 1882 Triton cutaceus var. gerna de Gregorio, 1885 Triton cutaceus var. isgura de Gregorio, 1885 Tritonium curtum Locard, 1886 Tritonium danieli Locard, 1886
References
MacNae, W. & M. Kalk (eds) (1958). A natural history of Inhaca Island, Mozambique. Witwatersrand Univ. Press, Johannesburg. I-iv, 163 pp 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
External links