Opalia granosa
(Quoy & Gaimard, 1834)
Description:
Dimensions range from 25 mm - 40.4 mm high and 12 mm wide.
Width to height ratio: 0.48:1 ~ 0.3:1
Shell: pyramid-shaped, elongated, somewhat stout, elongated, pyramidal; thick; moderately small to medium. Exterior colour white, pale tan; aperture is white. About 9 whorls, convex, sometimes varxed, sloped, crenulated at the suture, very finely granulated; teleoconch with 8-9 whorls barely prominent whorls, encircled near the middle by an indistinct keel at the front. Spire sharp. Suture crenulate at the suture; indistinct suture. Imperforate. Approximately 10 - 14 costae on the body whorl. Costae are axial ribs low, rounded, sometimes obsolete on the last whorl, obsolete riblets that are wavy, very rarely varicose. Intercostal spaces minutely granulated,, very minutely granulated, surface minutely granulated. Base convex, rib weak. Aperture somewhat triangular; margin thickened, extended into an angle at the front, rounded, with a thick varix; peristome incomplete; inner lip thick.
Macpherson & Gabriel [1962: 114] notes it can be distinguished by the presence of the varices and the characteristic granulated sculpture. Kaicher [1981: EP2-3100] commented this species should not be confused with O.australis which is more strongly sculptured
Distribution:
Bass Strait [Tate & May, 1901:379], across southern Australia to Freemantle, Western Australia [Wilson 1993: 280].
Habitat:
Intertidal [Verco, 1906:146 & Weil et al., 1999:138], rock crevices [Cotton & Godfrey, 1931:7].
Etymology:
[latin] from granosus = granular or grain-like. No specific reason for the name is provided by the author; however, it may refer to the granulated sculpture of the shell.
Type Material:
Brown & Neville [2015:79] noted that the junior homonym Turritella granosa Quoy & Gaimard, 1834 is retained, as the two species are no longer considered congeneric or confamilial, and a replacement name is therefore unnecessary (ICZN, 1999: Art. 59.2).
Type material not located for Opalia granosa (Quoy & Gaimard, 1834) - Type Locality: 'le port du Roi-George, à la Nouvelle-Hollande' [King George Sound, Western Australia]. [Brown & Neville, 2015: 79]
Clessin, S. (1897). Plate 4. Fig. 1.
Distribution
as listed in source literature
Quoy et Gaimard (1834).
Shown in text as Turritella granosa Quoy & Gaimard, 1834
pp: 138.
original description
Plate 55. Fig. 30.
Plate 55. Fig. 29.
Sowerby, G. B. II. (1844).
Plate xxxv. Fig. 144.
pp: 104.
pyramid-shaped, elongated, minutely granulated, thick, imperforate, with obsolete riblets that are wavy; with 9 barely prominent whorls, encircled near the middle by an indistinct keel at the front, crenulate at the suture; indistinct suture; aperture somewhat triangular; margin thickened, extended into an angle at the front; pale tan in colour; aperture is white.
Reeve, L.A. (1873).
Shown in text as Scalaria granulata Reeve, 1873
Plate v. Fig. 35.
Shell pyramidal, very minutely granulated, fulvous, very rarely varicose, with a single band of white; whorls sloped, crenulated at the suture; aperture subtrigonal, inner lip thick, angular beneath.
Tryon, G.W. (1887).
Shown in text as Scalaria granulosa Quoy & Gaimard, 1834
Plate 16. Fig. 11.
pp: 80.
Clessin, S. (1897).
Shown in text as Scalaria granulata Quoy et Gaymard, misspelling of granosa Quoy & Gaimard, 1834
Plate 4. Fig. 1.
pp: 12.
Shell pyramidal, very finely granulated, yellowish, very rarely varicose, with a single white band; whorls sloping, crenulated at the suture; aperture somewhat triangular, inner lip thick, angled below.
Verco, J.C. (1906).
Shown in text as Scala granosa, Quoy
pp: 146.
Cotton, B.C. & Godfrey, F.K. (1931).
Shown in text as Scala granosa Quoy & Gaimard 1834
pp: 7.
Macpherson, J.H. & Gabriel, C.J. (1962).
Shown in text as Granuliscala granosa (Quoy & Gaimard, 1834)
pp: 116. Fig. 140.
