To refer to this article use this url: http://www.zoologischemededelingen.nl/82/nr02/a34
Euplica varians (G. B. Sowerby I, 1832)
(fig. 4)
Columbella varians Sowerby I, 1832: 118 (not figured); Sowerby I, 1844: 117-118, pl. 37 figs 47-50; Hervier, 1899: 311-312.
Pyrene (Columbella) varians (Sowerby, 1832). Cernohorsky, 1972: 134, pl. 40, fig. 7a, b.
Pyrene varians (Sowerby, 1832). Verco, 1910: 127; Wilson, 1994: 107, pl. 16, figs 20a-b(?).
Euplica varians (Sowerby, 1832). Cotton, 1957: 2; Kay, 1979: 267, figs 93b, 94b-d; Sleurs, 1985: 276, text figs 6a-b, pl. 1 figs 1-2; Sleurs, 1987: 276-278, pl. 1, figs 1-2, text fig. 6a-b; Drivas & Jay, 1990: 168-169, fig. 7; 1997b: 32, fig. 5; Higo et al., 1999: 246; Okutani (ed.), 2000: 425, pl. 211 fig. 5; Higo et al., 2001: 83, fig. G2843.
This is also a wide ranging species, having a similar geographic distribution to Euplica turturina. The shell is strombiform rather than globose, 6 to 9 mm long at maturity with 4.5 to 5.5 teleoconch whorls, spirally ribbed, with a nodulose shoulder. The columella often has a pale pink stain. Shell colour and pattern vary greatly in this species; specimens collected at Ambon tend to be white, with a pale brown band around the middle two-thirds of the whorl, and dark brown speckles overlain in the middle of the band. The protoconch is usually 4 whorls, white, with axial threads. Early whorls have similar sculpture to the body whorl; they are spirally grooved, and nodulose at the periphery.
The expedition collected 13 dead specimens of this species from four stations, at depths from 2 to 12 m.