Oxystele

Oxystele is a genus of sea snails, marine gastropod mollusks in the family Trochidae, the top snails. Although previously suggested as a subgenus of Diloma, genetic analysis has shown it to be more appropriate as its own genus. The depressed conical shell is dark or variegated in color. The large aperture is oblique. The concave columella is arcuate, thin-edged, perfectly simple and curved below. It is above spread over the umbilical area as a rounded, well-defined pad of callus. Patterns of the variegated shell color within the genus Oxystele are shown in the image : A–C Oxystele variegata from Namibia, 5 km north of Swakopmund, diameter 22.2 mm (NMSA E6038) D–F Oxystele impervia from the Western Cape, Groen Rivier, diameter 22.3 mm (NMSA E7353) G–I Oxystele sp. from the Eastern Cape, Tsitsikamma National Park, diameter 16.5 mm (HVDBM058-10, NMSA W7371); the colour pattern of these specimens suggests Oxystele variegata, but these specimens group within the unit of Oxystele impervia J–L Oxystele sp.

These marine species occur off South Africa and Japan. Species in the genus include *Oxystele fulgurata* and *Oxystele merula*. Several names have been brought into synonymy, such as *Oxystele capensis* (now *Oxystele sinensis*), *Oxystele depressa* (now *Tomura depressa*), and *Oxystele variegata* (now accepted as *Oxystele antoni*). Other synonyms include *Oxystele impervius*, *Oxystele inflata*, *Oxystele romettensis*, *Oxystele sagittifera*, and various forms of *Oxystele sagittifera* and *Oxystele tabularis*.