Prkić, Giannuzzi-Savelli & Pusateri, 2020
Predator in the infralittoral. Lives in very shallow water in Stari Trogir bay, the type-locality in Split area. The species is named after the croatian malacologist Alen Petani.
Shell medium-sized, fusiform as can be lineaolata or purpurea. Teleoconch of 6-7 « slightly convex, not stepped whorls, suture incised, sculpture prominent, whole surface covered with dense microgranules. Axial sculpture of 18-27 equidistant, narrow, orthocline or slightly opisthocline ribs, narrower than interspaces, broader than spiral cords. Spiral sculpture of 20-26 spiral cords on the last whorl, of which 6-8 primary cords above the aperture, and two secondary cordlets on the subsutural ramp. Siphonal fasciole with 9-12 strong nodulose cords. Cancellation usually subquadrate, sometimes slightly rectangular, with not very elongate tubercles at intersections; tubercles on first 3 adapical primary cords more or less spinulose, often also on secondary cordlets. Subsutural ramp narrow, inclined. Columella simple, straight and inclined to the right anteriorly, gently angled posteriorly. Siphonal canal of medium length, widely open at the end; posterior canal broad. Outer lip thick, with 9-14 strong inner plicate denticles. » – Prkić, Giannuzzi-Savelli, Pusateri, Russini, Fassio & Oliverio: “Three new species of Raphitoma Bellardi, 1847 (Mollusca, Gastropoda, Raphitomidae) from Croatian waters (NE Adriatic Sea)”, Zoosystema vol. 42(16), Paris 2020, p.219. – Above and below: 21m deep, Milna bay, Brač island, Split-Dalmatia Comitat, S. Croatia. 13,6mm. Original pictures provided by R. Stanić (HR) – (CC BY-NC-SA).
Protoconch multispiral, brownish with a paler nucleus. Protoconch I of 1 whorl, covered by a dense orthogonal cancellate sculpture; protoconch II of 1,5-2 whorls, « with axial threads below the suture and less dense and diagonally cancellate sculpture on the rest of whorl. A strong keel at the end of last whorl covered with microgranules, denser above the keel. » (Ibid.) Transition protoconch - teleoconch with an opisthocline sinusigera boundary.
« Brownish or chestnut brown background, often very dark, sometimes with brown-yellowish or brown-greyish hue, interspaces always darker. White, whitish or ash grey blotches and spots of variable size, occasionally absent or very small, or covering most of surface. »
« Brownish or chestnut brown background, often very dark, sometimes with brown-yellowish or brown-greyish hue, interspaces always darker. White, whitish or ash grey blotches and spots of variable size, occasionally absent or very small, or covering most of surface. »