40 Tectura virginea. LEFT: four juveniles, 0.6mm to 1.4mm long, with intact white protoconchs. Photographed in water (upper images) and dry. From shell-grit sample, North Devon. 2019. RIGHT Louth, Ireland. 2020. All Leg. A. Wright.

40 Tectura virginea. LEFT: four juveniles, 0.6mm to 1.4mm long, with intact white protoconchs. Photographed in water (upper images) and dry. From shell-grit sample, North Devon. 2019. RIGHT Louth, Ireland. 2020. All Leg. A. Wright.

Young shells are translucent with a tiny, white, semi-spiral, apical protoconch discernible until the shell is about 1.5mm long, after which it is usually eroded. Translucency is greater when in water, so the black background shows through to darken the upper shells in this image.
See also images Tv 38 38 Tectura virginea. Juvenile, length 3 mm. Anglesey, Wales. March 2020. © A. Rowat & A. Wake. and Tv39.

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