Phenatoma rosea, or the pink tower shell, is a species of predatory sea snail, a marine gastropod mollusc in the family Turridae.

Distribution

This species is endemic to New Zealand.

Habitat

The pink tower shell is found in fine sand down to depths of 90 m.

Shell description

The shell is large and solid, tall-spired, strongly sculptured with broad flattened spiral ridges, with linear interspaces, the whole cut into irregular, squarish nodes by numerous linear axial grooves.

The shell coloration is pale pink, and purple-rose within the aperture.

The shell height is up to 34 mm, and width is up to 11 mm.

References

• Powell A. W. B., New Zealand Mollusca, William Collins Publishers Ltd, Auckland, New Zealand 1979 ISBN 0-00-216906-1