Daphnella ryukyuensis

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Daphnella ryukyuensis is an extinct sea snail from the Miocene era. It belongs to the family Raphitomidae, and fossils have been found in the Ryukyu Islands (Japan). The shell grew to about 30 millimeters (3 cm) long and is medium in size and fairly slender. The early whorls are flattened, while the adult whorls are more rounded. The protoconch has about 2¾ whorls; the first part is smooth, and the rest shows tiny diagonal ridges. The aperture is of medium width, the outer lip is thin and gently rounded, and the shallow anal sinus sits near the suture. In juveniles, the surface has a row of small bead-like bumps on a low shoulder beneath the suture with weak spiral lines below. In adults, the spiral lines are very faint, a bit more evident on the lower part of the body whorl and the inner lip.