Amphissa acutecostata (Philippi 1844)

Amphissa acutecostata is a species of sea snail, a marine gastropod mollusc in the family Columbellidae, the dove snails.

Type of larval development: planktotrophic, inferred from multispiral protoconch.

Shell up to 8.5 mm, broadly fusiform. Protoconch globose, formed by 3.5 moderately convex whorls, bulging over the profile of the spire, bearing a very fine reticulate pattern of oblique theads hardly visible under the optical microscope. Teleoconch of ca. 4 convex whorls; sculpture of broad, low and flexuous axial ribs as broad as the interspaces, and a very fine spiral microsculpture; towards the base there are some more definite spiral striae. On the last whorl the ribs extend from the suture to far below the periphery and tend to disappear on the final part of the whorl. Aperture oval, prolonged in a broadly open siphonal canal. Outer lip bordered externally by a strong varix, internally with a few very faint denticles which may be absent on subadult or juvenile specimens. Parietal edge bordered by a narrow and appressed callus, continued onto the columellar edge. Colour whitish in deeper water, with brown flames on specimens collected on the upper part of seamounts.

Range: 45°N to 35°N; 74°W to 0°W. Distribution: Nova Scotia to New Jersey and North Carolina

from Norway to southern Morocco, also the Canary Islands and the Azores; Mediterranean sea. Gorringe, Josephine, Seine, Great Meteor, Hyères, Plato, Irving and Atlantis seamounts, moderately common in 250-1380 m. Antialtair seamount, extremely common in 900-1470 m. Western Atlantic, from Nova Scotia and New Jersey to North Carolina.