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Common Name

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Status

Regarded as a valid species.

Type Locality

Djibouti

Distribution

Eritrea, Djibouti, Somalia, Kenya and Madagascar (Nosy Bé)

Maximum Reported Size

45 mm

Description

Moderately small to medium-sized, moderately solid. Last whorl ventricosely conical to conical; outline convex at adapical third, less so to straight below. Aperture somewhat wider at base than near shoulder. Shoulder subangulate to angulate. Spire of low to moderate height, outline concave. Larval shell of 1.75-2.25 whorls, maximum diameter about 0.8 mm. Teleoconch sutural ramps flat to slightly concave adaxially, with 0-1 increasing to 4-6 spiral grooves and additional spiral striae. Last whorl with variably wide spiral grooves basally, separating spiral ribs at base and ribbons above.

Ground colour white. Last whorl with variably arranged, well-separated spiral rows of rarely confluent brown dots and spots. Larval whorls white to beige. Postnuclear sutural ramps with sparse brown radial markings. Aperture white, sometimes pale yellow.

Periostracum greyish brown, thin translucent, and smooth.

Shell Morphometry

L	26-45 mm
RW	0.11-0.20 g/mm (L 26-36 mm)
RD	0.56-0.64
PMD	0.79-0.87
RSH	0.09-0.17

Habitat & Habits

To 30 m, on sand.

Discussion

C. ateralbus can be separated from C. venulatus because of its normally black last whorl and spire, with white dots, angulated shoulder and purplish aperture instead of pure white, and also from C. trochulus which has a lavender shell, straight sides, convex and purplish spire, and aperture of a darker color.

C. angioiorum resembles C. jickelii from Djibouti. Shells of the latter attain somewhat larger size than sympatric C. angioiorum, have a pattern of larger, more confluent and darker brown markings, a yellow or brownish violet collabral band within the aperture, and a brown apex; their last whorls are less ventricose and more straight-sided.

References

• Acta Conchyliorum (3): p. 46, pl. 5, figs 12-18.