Taranis mayi
# Taranis mayi

Taranis mayi is a species of sea snail, a marine gastropod mollusk in the family Raphitomidae.

## Description

The length of the shell attains 4.6 mm, its diameter 2.4 mm.

(Original description) The thin, oval, white shell consists of four whorls besides a brown protoconch of 2 whorls, which are convex, apparently smooth, but under the microscope very finely spirally lirate and interstitially punctate. The spire-whorls are convex medially sharply angulate with a cord, base contracted, and forming a moderately long siphonal canal, which is slightly curved to the left. The sutures are distinct and finely canaliculate. The aperture is obliquely oval. The outer lip is thin, simple, ridged outside by the spirals, with an obtuse shallow, wide triangular sinus at the angulation.

Sculpture : above the angle are three spirals in each whorl, and one below it. In the body whorl are eighteen, subdistant just below the angle, crowded towards the siphonal canal. Very fine axials, about 42 in the penultimate whorl, run obliquely back from the suture to the angle, and then at an obtuse angle obliquely forward to the suture.

Variations: One example has only one spiral above its very sharp angle, namely, a bold cord just below the suture, making this more channelled and only one below the angle just above the suture in the second and third whorls, and seven in the body whorl.

## Distribution

This marine species is endemic to Australia and occurs off South Australia.

