The first figure of T. granifera was published by Lamarck (1816) with the name Melania
granifera without any description and location. Later Lamarck (1822) published following
description "M. testa ovato-acutâ, striis transversis crassiusculis granosis cincta, luteovirescente; ultimo anfractu pentricoso; spirae ânfractibus planis; aperturâ alba ". In 1854, Adam & Adam reassigned granifera to the genus Tarebia. A number of authors still refered to Lamarck (1819) and used the name Melania granifera (see Brot 1874, Rensch 1934), while others used the name Thiara granifera according to Adam & Adam (1854), Benthem-Jutting (1937, 1941). Besides the two names, some other authors also used the name Melania lineata due to distinguishable dark lines coinciding with spiral ridges (Mousson 1848, Martens 1897). Based on this distinct characters, Rensch (1934) divided Melania granifera into two subspecies, namely M. granifera granifera and M. granifera lineata. Benthem-Jutting (1956) incorporated this species to the Melanoides granifera and wrote 19 synonyms. Furthermore, Glaubrecht (1996) returned the name to Tarebia granifera, so all the names that refered to the species Melania granifera described by Lamarck (1822) were considered as synonyms.
Shell - The shells of T. granifera has a medium shell size of 13.40 mm – 32.15 mm. Their shape
are elongated conic and rather thick. There are 9 – 11 spiral lines below the periphery. Axial lines are not visible. Spiral lines are as prominent as the axial lines so that granules are formed at the interceptions. The shell colour ranges from yellowish or light brown to dark brown or black. The apex is pointed and sometimes eroded. Shells of T. granifera usually have 6 to 8 whorls, with a high spire and regularly increasing size. The body whorl is evenly rounded and comprises about 0.5 times of the total shell length. The suture of T. granifera is shallow. This species has oblique aperture with curved and uncontinuous apertural lip. The umbilicus is enclosed.
Operculum - The type of operculum is paucispiral, nucleus located in the lower edge of the
operculum. There are eight rings sculpted on the outer surface of operculum.
Soft body- Animal is coiling in 3 whorls. The headfoot is black, while the mantle is white with
black line in serrated marginal edge. The body has white colour. The snout is broad. Cephalic
tentacle is about 2 mm in length. The location of eyes is at the base of tentacle. Ctenidium is about 7 times of osphradium.
Embryonic shell - The average of embryonic shell size is 0.90–1.04 mm in shell height with the
maximum of shell height up to 5.85 mm. Shell of embryo consists of 5 whorls. The apical whorl is smooth. Subsequence whorls decorated with strong ridge especially below the suture. Apical view of embryonic shell appears more wrinkle.
The biometrical measurements showed that shell height varies in T. granifera from three
different locations. The shell height of T. granifera from Lombok, Banten and Maros is 24.10 to
29.68 mm, 13.40 to 25.37 mm and 10.01 to 32.15 mm, respectively. Although T. granifera
of three locations showed high variation in the character of the shell height, but in general all specimens studied have the same shell shape index. This was indicated by the ratio of height and width of the shell (index SH / SW) which depicting similar pattern.