Notocochlis gualteriana, common name the comma necklace shell, is a species of predatory sea snail, a marine gastropod mollusk in the family Naticidae, the moon snails.
Description The shell is moderately small, 8–25 mm in height, solid, with a moderately elevated spire that is sculptured with axial growth striae and radial ribs at the sutures. It is white in colour and variously maculated with grey or brown, straight or curved streaks, which are generally arranged in two to three spiral zones on the body whorl; in some specimens the shell is dark greyish brown, with the streaks becoming confluent.
The aperture is semi-ovate and is maculated with brown within. The funicle is prominent and variable in thickness, axially elongate or rounded, and either extends vertically into the umbilicus or winds sideways; the umbilicus is open or only partly covered. The periostracum is thin, brown, and moderately translucent.
The operculum is calcareous, white, and bears a single marginal rib. The rachidian tooth of the radula (Fig. 21) is tricuspid, with two basal cusps mounted on a shield; the lateral tooth has seven cusps, the inner marginal tooth is bifid, and the outer marginal tooth is simple.
Distribution This species occurs in European waters, the Mediterranean Sea, the Indian Ocean off Aldabra, the Masacarene Basin, Kenya, Tanzania, Madagascar, Mozambique, South Africa, and off the Philippines, China, South Korea and New Zealand.
References
Dautzenberg, Ph. (1929). Contribution à l'étude de la faune de Madagascar: Mollusca marina testacea. Faune des colonies françaises, III(fasc. 4). Société d'Editions géographiques, maritimes et coloniales: Paris. 321-636, plates IV-VII pp Finlay H.J. (1930) Additions to the Recent fauna of New Zealand. No. 3. Transactions and Proceedings of the Royal Society of New Zealand 61: 222-247. [Published 23 August 1930] page(s): 232 MacNae, W. & M. Kalk (eds) (1958). A natural history of Inhaca Island, Mozambique. Witwatersrand Univ. Press, Johannesburg. I-iv, 163 pp Kilburn, R. N. 1972. Taxonomic notes on South African marine Mollusca (2), with the description of new species and subspecies of Conus, Nassarius, Vexillum and Demoulia. Annals of the Natal Museum 21(2):391-437, 15 figs. Drivas, J. & M. Jay (1988). Coquillages de La Réunion et de l'île Maurice Kabat A.R., Finet Y. & Way K. (1997) Catalogue of the Naticidae (Mollusca: Gastropoda) described by C.A. Récluz, including the location of the type specimens. Apex 12(1): 15-26 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 Hollman M. (2008) Naticidae. In Poppe G.T. (ed.) Philippine marine mollusks, vol. 1: 482-501, pls 186-195. Hackenheim: Conchbooks. Spencer, H.; Marshall. B. (2009). All Mollusca except Opisthobranchia. In: Gordon, D. (Ed.) (2009). New Zealand Inventory of Biodiversity. Volume One: Kingdom Animalia. 584 pp Petit R.E. (2009) George Brettingham Sowerby, I, II & III: their conchological publications and molluscan taxa. Zootaxa 2189: 1–218. Lozouet, P. & Plaziat, J.-C., 2008 - Mangrove environments and molluscs, Abatan river, Bohol and Panglao islands, central Philippines, p. 1-160, 38 pls
External links
Branch, G.M. et al. (2002). Two Oceans. 5th impression. David Philip, Cate Town & Johannesburg Kabat A.R. (2000) Results of the Rumphius Biohistorical Expedition to Ambon (1990). Part 10. Mollusca, Gastropoda, Naticidae. Zoologische Mededelingen 73(25): 345-380