Stromboidea

• Strombidae
  • Terestrombus
    • Terestrombus afrobellatus (Abbott, 1960)

Original Description of Strombus terebellatus afrobellatus by Abbott, 1960:

• "Shell 29 to 39 mm. (1 to 1 1/2 inches) in length, rather fragile, smooth, glossy and coloured cream with a heavy suffusion of light to dark brown mottlings and flecks. Similar to the typical terebellatus but the apertural wall of the body whorl lacks the small, spiral brown color streaks, although the colors of the outer shell may show through. Columella slightly concave in the middle, slightly convex above. Stromboid notch very week. Spire only one third the length of the entire shell. Periostracum very thin and smooth, and usually remaining only on the lower third of the shell. Operculum stromboid, slightly arching, light-brown, with 5 well-developed, sharp serrations. Animal orange-yellow with white spots (preserved). Verge very long (18 mm), narrow and simple. Radula ribbon 4 mm., delicate, and with a formula of 2-1-2; 1-3 (plus peg); 5; 5."

Types: ANSP no. 214295

Locus typicus: Pange Island, west side of Zanzibar Archipelago, Tanzania, East Africa, Indian Ocean

Stratum typicum: Recent

History and Synonymy

2002

Kronenberg & Vermeij, 2002, p. 52:

• "Specimens in the Kronenberg collection enable us to extend the known geographic range of T. afrobellatus. We now have material from Mozambique (Fernal Veloso Beach, Nacala Bay, three specimens, GCK 2823); southwestern Madagascar (Tulear, shallow water on sand, one specimen taken February, 2001); Maldives (Raabandhiuraa Island, Malaku Atoll, one living and one dead specimen taken 7 November, 1998 by Sandro Gori, GCK 5908)."

Specimens from private collections

Terestrombus afrobellatus (Abbott, 1960); Fernao Veloso beach, Nacala Bay, Nampula Province, Republic of Mozambique, Indian Ocean; Coll. Gijs Kronenberg no. 2823

Terestrombus afrobellatus (Abbott, 1960); Toliara (formerly Tuléar), Atsimo-Andrefana Region, southern Madagascar; in shallow water on sand; 2/2002; Coll. Gijs Kronenberg no. 6209

Terestrombus afrobellatus (Abbott, 1960); Raabandhiuraa Island, Malaku Atoll, Maldives; alive at 20 m by scuba diving; 11/1998; Coll. Gijs Kronenberg no. 5908