Euthria pulicaria is characterized by the semi-oval shape with a high, conical spire and an inflated base; the broad subsutural spiral cord in combination with a broad but weak subsutural concavity. The last whorl may be smooth or occasionally covered by moderately well developped axial ribs or riblets (see also Dautzenberg et al., 1906: 24 and Monteiro et al., 2005:92). A pattern of small red-brown dots, arranged in spirals, covers a white to yellow, often bright, ground colour; occasionally greyish. The aperture is usually bright purple.

Euthria boavistensis differs from E. pulicaria by its more stretched base with longer siphonal canal; the absence of a subsutural concavity and the smaller adult size.

The specimens included in this sample are a bit puzzling. The most striking feature common to all of them is the presence of a prominent subsutural band, something that is apparently unique among Cape Verde Euthria.
However, some morphological features are quite similar to those found in E. pulicaria Dautzenberg & Fischer, 1906, considering that the holotype is the shell of a rather juvenile specimen (about 35 mm), whereas the specimens now studied measure from 40 to 57 mm. The following aspects should be stressed:
a) Sculpture in the last whorl.
While it would be hard not to consider that the five specimens under study belong to one species, it is clear that at least three of them show strong axial sculpture on the last whorl, which is absent to weak in the remaining two specimens . E. pulicaria is described as having no sculpture on the last whorl, but the holotype does show clear axial ribs.
b) The colour of the aperture.
The five specimens under study present a violet aperture. This violet colour is always present and strong on the columella and in two of them it covers the entire aperture, including the innermost areas; in the other three , the interior of the aperture is white but there are violet shades on the lip. It should be stressed that these specimens were apparently dead collected. On the other hand, E. pulicaria, besides being somewhat smaller, was described as having a white aperture; however, in Rolan (1987, fig 4) there is a reference to one specimen from North Boavista which is 51 mm long and has a "purplish coloration" in the aperture.
Because most of the known species of Euthria from the Cape Verde Islands come from relatively deep water, only a restricted number of specimens have been available for study. In particular, the complete range of intraspecific variability for E. pulicaria must be considered mostly unknown. For these reasons, we prefer to treat this sample as E. sp. cf. pulicaria Dautzenberg & Fischer, 1906. However, as soon as more specimens are collected and a more complete series can be formed for both E. pulicaria and the population to which these five specimens belong, different conclusions may eventually be reached.

Cape Verde. In moderately shallow water (50-70 m) off Sal and Boavista Islands. One record from between Fogo and Brava islands (in lobster traps at 200 m, FS) needs confirmation. One record from 8 miles west off Sal Rei (Boavista) may have been trapped on a seamount.