Turris venusta (Reeve, 1843)

Plate 30, figs A–B

Pleurotoma venusta Reeve, 1843: pl. 9, sp. 79. Type loc.: Siquijor Island, Central Visayas, Philippines.

DESCRIPTION (based on holotype): Shell fusiform, b/l 0.34, a/l 0.48; last whorl more strongly convex than preceding ones, suture shallow, siphonal canal long, narrow, tapering with acute end; anal sinus apparently widely V-shaped [but damaged].

Subsutural cord weak, with a blunt median ridge and a weak one on either side; sulcus shallow, subequal in width to subsutural cord, containing 2 spiral threads. Sinus cord narrow, low and flat; base of penultimate whorl with 4 cords, subequal to their intervals, the 1st cord peripheral, the lowest one weak; no intermediary threads, last whorl with 24 cords. Collabral threads weak, except on rostrum, where they are coarse.

Yellowish-white with blackish-brown spots, mostly staggered, subsutural cord with a series of large spots. Protoconch unknown.

Measurements; 54.6 x 18.4 mm.

DISTRIBUTION: Philippines (known only from the unconfirmed type locality).

TYPES: Holotype NHMUK 1970096 .

REMARKS: This enigmatic species, sometimes wrongly synonymised with T. babylonia, remains known only from the holotype. The type locality is unconfirmed, despite the large quantity of Turris material that has become available from the Philippines over the past few decades. Turris venusta closely resembles T. babylonia, but differs from it in shape and in the stronger, closer spiral cords and very strong peripheral cord.