Class Gastropoda Cuvier, 1795

Family Rissoidae Gray, 1847

Genus Alvania Risso, 1826

Species Alvania cimex (Linnaeus, 1758)

 Alvania cimex (Linnaeus, 1758)

Common in the Tuscan Pliocene. Piuttosto comune nel Pliocene toscano, segnalata da Chirli (2006) per Terre Rosse e dintorni di Colle val d’Elsa (Siena).

Gastropoda Rissoidae Alvania Alvania cimex

Description – (O.D.) T. testa oblongo-ovata striis decussatis: punctis eminentibus.

Conchiglia piccola, formata da sette giri poco convessi separati da suture profonde. Protoconca giri 2,5 ornati da 6-7 esili strie papillose equidistanti separate da intervalli assai ampi. I giri della teleoconca sono ornati da 15-16 coste assiali strette, elevate, subcontinue e separate da intervalli più ampi. Cingoli spirali robusti, due sul primo giro e quattro sul penultimo, nodulosi al passaggio sopra le coste e separati da intervalli più stretti. Ultimo giro alto 2/3 dell’altezza totale, ornato da una decina di cingoli e da coste che proseguono sulla base. Labbro esterno varicoso internamente plicato. Bordo columellare liscio con callo poco esteso (Chirli, 2006).

Small shell formed by seven little convex whorls, separated by deep suture lines. Protoconch, formed by 2.5 whorls, with 6-7 slender equidistant papillose striae separated by very wide intervals. The ornamentation of the teleoconch consist in 15-16 narrow, high, intermittent axial ribs, separated by wider intervals. Sturdy spiral threads, two on the first whorl and four on the penultimate, nodular when passing over the axial ribs, separated by narrower intervals. Last whorl 2/3 of the total height, with a dozen of threads and ribs that continue on the base. External lip varicose, internally plicated. Smooth columellar border with a little extended callus.

Bibliographic references and some more common synonyms

1758 Turbo cimex – Linnaeus, p. 761, n. 530

1808 Turbo calathiscus – Montagu, p. 132, pl. 30, fig. 5

1826 Alvania europea – Risso, p. 142, n. 354, pl. 9, fig. 116

1826 Alvania fremvillea – Risso, p. 141, n. 353, pl. 9, fig. 118

1826 Alvania pyramidata – Risso, p. 144, n. 361

1836 Rissoa granulata – Philippi, p. 153

1886 Alvania cimicina – Locard, p. 156, fig. 135

1895 Alvania (Acinus) cimex v. tauroparva – Sacco, p. 24, fig. 56

1903 Alvania pseudocimex – Seguenza L., p. 46, pl. 11, fig. 5

2006 Alvania cimex – Chirli, p. 16, pl. 7, figs 1-7

2021 Alvania cimex – Chirli & Forli, p. 103, pls 76, 77, 78, figs B1-14, A1-20, A1-16

Stratigraphic distribution

Miocene – Italiy. Pliocene – Italy, Spain and Greece. Pleistocene – Balearic Islands (Spain), Italy, Greece, including Rhodes and Cyprus. Recent – Atlanto-mediterranean species, common in all the Mediterranean; in Atlantic reported from Tangeri and Casablanca; it lives between the algae of the meso-infralittoral zone.

References

Chirli C. (2006). Malacofauna Pliocenica Toscana – Caenogastropoda. Vol. 5, pp. 144, 46 Plates.

Chirli C. & Forli M., (2021). The Family Rissoidae Gray, 1847 from Miocene to Present-day, in the Mediterranean Basin. Edizioni Danaus, Palermo

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Acknowledgements

Si ringrazia l’amico Carlo Chirli (Tavarnelle, Firenze) per la concessione all’uso di alcuni suoi testi. See also Edizioni Danaus