Melanella martinii, common name the white parasitic snail, is a species of sea snail, a marine gastropod mollusk in the family Eulimidae.
Description The size of the shell varies between 20 mm and 50 mm.
(Original description in Latin) The shell is solid, polished, and milky white, rising into a slender, needle-like pyramidal shape that tapers to a softly undulating apex. Along its spire, numerous flattened whorls are joined by a continuous chain of deeply impressed varices that trace a distinct ridge along the right side, running uninterrupted all the way to the tip. Near the base, the body whorl forms a subtle, muted angle around an oval aperture, where the front margin of the outer lip turns outward, thickened and neatly reflected.
Distribution This marine species occurs in the Indo-west Pacific; also in the Red Sea; off the Philippines, Vietnam, Taiwan and Australia (Queensland, Western Australia).
References
Smith, E.A. 1884. Mollusca. pp. 34–116, 487–508, 657–659, pls 4–7. In, Report on the Zoological Collections made in the Indo-Pacific Ocean during the voyage of the H.M.S. 'Alert ' 1881–2. London : British Museum Trustees, printed by Taylor & Francis. Odhner, N.H. 1917. Results of Dr E. Mjöbergs Swedish scientific expeditions to Australia. 1910-1913, pt XVII, Mollusca. Kongliga Svenska Vetenskaps-Academiens Nya Handlingar, Stockholm 52(16): 1-115 pls 1-3 Higo, S.; Callomon, P.; Goto, Y. (1999). Catalogue and Bibliography of the Marine Shell-Bearing Mollusca of Japan. Elle Scientific Publications, Yao, Japan, 749 pp. Okutani T., ed. (2000) Marine mollusks in Japan. Tokai University Press. 1173 pp. Bosch D.T., Dance S.P., Moolenbeek R.G. & Oliver P.G. (1995) Seashells of eastern Arabia. Dubai: Motivate Publishing. 296 pp. page(s): 112, fig. 448 Fowler, O. (2016). Seashells of the Kenya coast. ConchBooks: Harxheim. Pp. 1–170. Liu, J.Y. [Ruiyu] (ed.). (2008). [Checklist of marine biota of China seas]. China Science Press. 1267 pp.