shell variable in its outline and in its sculpture. However any form, collected in different zones of the Mediterranean, of North Africa and England, are, in our opinion, referable to one specific entity only by a series of intermediate forms. The main characteristics are the solidity of the spiral belts which are flattened, wider than the interspaces (about twice) and the colour pattern that is an uniform reddish-brown usually, sometimes lighter in colour.
The average measures are 5-6 mm but there can be found even forms of bigger sizes (7-8 mm). The animal is cream in colour with white pits.
Hurgueta et al. (2002) consider this shell a form of dark morpho of C. mamillata as the view that C. brunnea arrives to the Alboran Sea but not living in the Mediterranean and differs from the latter for the colour of the animal. For the moment we prefer to distinguish the two forms and we believe, that represented, a form of C. brunnea.
The difference with C turritellata is due to a different solidity and a bigger width of the spiral belts and to the axial ribs more prominent ones.

Shell. A glossy shell, rather thick and solid lor its size, but a little translucent; it is narrow (apical angle about 28°), and only a little extended at the base; the spire is cyrtoconoid in profile and its tip is blunt. There are 5-6 slightly tumid whorls which meet at slightly incised sutures placed below the periphery ol the upper whorl. 1 he ornament includes costae. spiral ridges, and growth lines. The costae are undulate in section, about as broad as the intervening spaces, and run orthoclinally from suture to suture in the spire, but lade just below the periphery on the last whorl. A varix lies along the outer lip. Including it, there are 9-11 costae on the last whorl, 9 or 10 on those of the spire. The spiral ridges are broad and flat, separated by narrow grooves; they cross the costae and broaden as they do so. The last whorl has 10-16, those in the spire more regularly 4. The growth lines are slight, orthocline, and usually visible only between costae and spiral ridges.
The protoconch has about 1.5 whorls and measures from 650 to 1000 µm in in diameter and 450-950 µm in height. Its first whorl has spiral linear markings cross-linked by fine ridges; on the second, costae comparable to those on the adult shell appear, with a continuation of the spiral pattern between them. A pronounced ridge reflects hatching or settlement.
Aperture. A rather small oval, angulated adapically, and opening broadly to the siphonal canal. The outer lip arises level with spiral ridge 5 or 6 on the last whorl and runs smoothly in a slightly prosocline plane to the canal, showing a very shallow anal sinus over its adapical half. The edge is thin but is backed by the varix. The canal is short and broad, widely open. The columella is short and straight, the inner lip very narrow and thin both here and in the parietal region. About 6 ridge-like teeth lie in the throat under the varix.
Co/our. A more or less homogeneous chestnut brown.
Size. Up to about 5 x 1.5 mm. Last whorl - about 60% of total shell height; aperture = about
Animal. There is no snout, the head reduced to a small transverse fold carrying the tentacles anteriorly and the mouth ( = opening of a proboscis sac) underneath. The tentacles have their bases close together and they diverge markedly; each has an eye at the end of a thicker basal half. The mantle edge is plain, but drawn out on the left to form the siphon, which extends considerably beyond the edge of the canal as the animal creeps. Males have a small penis on the right.
The foot is rather narrow with parallel sides. The anterior end is nearly straight, slightly embayed in the mid line, and with small lateral points. The opening of the anterior pedal gland is conspicuous on the dorsal side a little back from the anterior margin. Posteriorly the foot is bluntly pointed and bears an oval operculum.
Colour. Yellowish brown with opaque white spots.
Geographical distribution. From the Mediterranean to the British Isles where it appears not to occur except on the south coast of England.
Habitat. Under stones and on weeds from L.W.S.T. to depths of about 60 m. Local in its distribution.
Food. Not known; perhaps the rissoids which are quantitatively the dominant feature of the community -in which it lives; more probably polychaetes.

Distribution: it can be found along the Spanish coasts up to France, along the African coasts up to Algeria and it was recorded in the upper Tyrrhenian and in the south of Sicily (Italy) too.
Habitat: it was found living under the stones in rocky zones at a few metres depth.
As per its congenerous ones, this species is carnivourus and it feeds on carrions employing its extensible proboscis, without piercing the shells, even if they are placed into cracks.