Mitra papalis

Mitra papalis, common name the Papal/Pontifical Mitre, is a species of sea snail, a marine gastropod mollusk in the family Mitridae, the miters.

Distribution
This marine species is present in India and in the western Indo-Pacific (China, Xisha Islands, Taiwan, Philippines, New Guinea, Fiji, New Caledonia and Guam).

Habitat
These sea snails live on coral reefs and under rocks, from the intertidal zone to a depth of about 30 m.

Rarely, specimens are known from tangle nets at around 600 ft. depth.



Description
Shells of Mitra papalis can reach a length of about 60 - 166 mm. The form of these large shells is similar to a Papal mitre (hence the common name). They are elongate to ovate, fusiform and smooth but without axial streaks on the surface. Sutural coronations are present. The aperture is moderately wide, smooth within. The shell surface is white, with small white nodules under sutures and with several rows of irregular bright red-orange or purplish blotches.

This species is quite similar to Mitra stictica, but its body form is longer, with more adpressed sutures and wider nodules.