# Bela nebula

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Species of gastropod

Nebular needle conch Shell of Bela nebula (specimen at the Smithsonian Institution) Scientific classification Kingdom: Animalia Phylum: Mollusca Class: Gastropoda Subclass: Caenogastropoda Order: Neogastropoda Superfamily: Conoidea Family: Mangeliidae Genus: Bela Species: B. nebula Binomial name Bela nebula (Montagu, 1803) Synonyms[2] Bela aegeensis (Reeve, 1844) [1] Bela ginniana (Risso, 1826) [1] Bela nebula vittata Norman, A.M., 1899 Bela septenvillei (Dautzenberg & Durouchoux, 1913) Bela (Ischnula) nebula (Montagu, 1803) Buccinum steveni Krynicky, 1837 (dubious synonym) Fusus discrepans Brown, C.T., 1827 Fusus pyramidatus Brown, C.T., 1827 Mangelia (Bela) nebula (Montagu) Mangelia nebula (Montagu, 1803) Mangelia nebula var. lactea Jeffreys, 1867 Murex nebula Montagu, 1803 (original combination) Pleurotoma metcalfei Petit de la Saussaye, S., 1869 Pleurotoma nebula (Montagu, 1803) Pleurotoma nebula var. abbreviata Jeffreys, 1867 Pleurotoma nebula var. elongata Jeffreys, 1867 Pleurotoma nebula var. abbreviata (Montagu, 1803) Pleurotoma nebula var. minor Jeffreys, 1867 Pleurotoma nigra Potiez, V.L.V., 1838 Raphitoma affine Locard, E.A.A., 1891 Raphitoma nebula (Montagu, 1803) Raphitoma nebula var. septenvillei Dautzenberg, 1913 Raphitoma septenvillei Dautzenberg & Durouchoux, 1913

***Bela nebula***, also known as the nebular needle [conch](/source/Conch) is a species of [sea snail](/source/Sea_snail), a marine [gastropod](/source/Gastropod) [mollusk](/source/Mollusk) in the [family](/source/Family_(taxonomy)) [Mangeliidae](/source/Mangeliidae).[2] It is the [type species](/source/Type_species) of the genus *Bela*.

## Taxonomy

*Bela nebula* forms probably a complex, to which *Bela laevigata* also belongs (Ankel 1936, Van Aartsen et al. 1984) [3][4]

## Description

The shell size varies between 5 mm and 14 mm, characteristic of the *Bela* genus, with three or four initially smooth [protoconch](/source/Protoconch) [whorls](/source/Whorl_(mollusc)), except for the last, which features low, curved axial riblets overrun by a few rows of obsolete spiral elements, which form swollen tubercles at the intersection.[5] The shell consists of eight or nine tumid whorls, with deep sutures. The subsutural band is often beaded. The shell shows strong, slightly curved ribs and narrow, spiral ridges and growth lines. The numerous ridges are finely beaded. The subsutural band is slightly swollen. The [aperture](/source/Aperture_(mollusc)) of the shell is lanceolate and elongated, with a thin outer [lip](/source/Lip_(gastropod)) that becomes angular where it meets the [body whorl](/source/Body_whorl). There is an anal sinus and a short, wide [siphonal canal](/source/Siphonal_canal). [6]

The colour of the shell is variable and goes from white to yellowish brown and orange.

The species breeds in spring and summer, depositing eggs in lenticular capsules.

## Distribution

This species occurs on sand and muddy gravel bottoms in European waters off [Belgium](/source/Belgium) and the [British Isles](/source/British_Isles), in the Northeast [Atlantic Ocean](/source/Atlantic_Ocean) off [Norway](/source/Norway), in the [Atlantic Ocean](/source/Atlantic_Ocean) off [Spain](/source/Spain), [Portugal](/source/Portugal), the [Azores](/source/Azores) and [Madeira](/source/Madeira) and in the [Mediterranean Sea](/source/Mediterranean_Sea)

## References

1. ^ [***a***](#cite_ref-Turkey_1-0) [***b***](#cite_ref-Turkey_1-1) [B. Otztürk, *Comments on Shells of Mollusca collected from the Seas of Turkey*, Turk J Zool, 29, pp. 111-112, 2005](http://journals.tubitak.gov.tr/zoology/issues/zoo-05-29-2/zoo-29-2-1-0403-1.pdf) [Archived](https://web.archive.org/web/20101117130707/http://journals.tubitak.gov.tr/zoology/issues/zoo-05-29-2/zoo-29-2-1-0403-1.pdf) November 17, 2010, at the [Wayback Machine](/source/Wayback_Machine); accessed : 20 February 2011

1. ^ [***a***](#cite_ref-WoRMS_2-0) [***b***](#cite_ref-WoRMS_2-1) [*Bela nebula* (Montagu, 1803)](http://www.marinespecies.org/aphia.php?p=taxdetails&id=139217). Retrieved through: [World Register of Marine Species](/source/World_Register_of_Marine_Species) on 8 August 2011.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-3)** Ankel, Wulf Emmo. Prosobranchia. Akademische Verlagsgesellschaft, 1936.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-4)** Aartsen, JJ van, H. P. M. G. Menkhorst, and E. Gittenberger. "The marine Mollusca of the Bay of Algeciras, Spain, with general notes on Mitrella, Marginellidae and Turridae." Basteria (ISSN 0005-6219)(Suppl. 2 (1984).

1. **[^](#cite_ref-5)** ["Bela nebula (Montagu, 1803)"](https://www.gbif.org/species/4369330). *www.gbif.org*. Retrieved 2022-03-23.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-6)** P.J. Hayward and J.S. Ryland - Handbook of the Marine Fauna of North-West Europe; Oxford University Press 1995; ISBN 0 19 854054 X

- Hayward, P.J.; Ryland, J.S. (Ed.) (1990). *The marine fauna of the British Isles and North-West Europe: 1. Introduction and protozoans to arthropods*. Clarendon Press: Oxford, UK. [ISBN](/source/ISBN_(identifier)) [0-19-857356-1](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:BookSources/0-19-857356-1). 627 pp

- de Kluijver, M.J.; Ingalsuo, S.S.; de Bruyne, R.H. (2000). *Macrobenthos of the North Sea* [CD-ROM]: 1. Keys to Mollusca and Brachiopoda. World Biodiversity Database CD-ROM Series. Expert Center for Taxonomic Identification (ETI): Amsterdam, the Netherlands. [ISBN](/source/ISBN_(identifier)) [3-540-14706-3](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:BookSources/3-540-14706-3)

- Gofas, S.; Le Renard, J.; Bouchet, P. (2001). *Mollusca, in: Costello, M.J. et al. (Ed.) (2001). European register of marine species: a check-list of the marine species in Europe and a bibliography of guides to their identification*. Collection Patrimoines Naturels, 50: pp. 180–213+

- Muller, Y. (2004). *Faune et flore du littoral du Nord, du Pas-de-Calais et de la Belgique: inventaire. [Coastal fauna and flora of the Nord, Pas-de-Calais and Belgium: inventory].* Commission Régionale de Biologie Région Nord Pas-de-Calais: France. 307 pp

- Scarponi et al.: Lectotype designation for *Murex nebula* Montagu 1803 (Mangeliidae) and its implications for *Bela* Leach in Gray 1847, Zootaxa 2014

## External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to [Bela nebula](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Category:Bela_nebula).

- ["*Bela nebula nebula*"](http://www.gastropods.com/7/Shell_11187.shtml). *Gastropods.com*. Retrieved 20 February 2011.

- [Tucker, J.K. 2004 *Catalog of recent and fossil turrids (Mollusca: Gastropoda)*. Zootaxa 682:1-1295.](http://www.mapress.com/zootaxa/2004f/z00682f.pdf)

- [MNHN, Paris : *Bela nebula*](https://science.mnhn.fr/institution/mnhn/collection/im/item/2013-57413?listIndex=29&listCount=64)

Taxon identifiers Bela nebula Wikidata: Q4881823 CoL: 68GVD EUNIS: 59217 GBIF: 4369330 iNaturalist: 482495 IRMNG: 10898653 NBN: NHMSYS0021006609 NCBI: 2268697 Observation.org: 20960 OBIS: 139217 Open Tree of Life: 2904493 SeaLifeBase: 98754 WoRMS: 139217 Murex nebula Wikidata: Q41085084 CoL: 44M9Y GBIF: 6507558 IRMNG: 11707419 WoRMS: 435690

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Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Bela nebula](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bela_nebula) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bela_nebula?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.