''Cantharidella picturata'', common name the painted kelp shell, is a
species
In biology, a species is the basic unit of Taxonomy (biology), classification and a taxonomic rank of an organism, as well as a unit of biodiversity. A species is often defined as the largest group of organisms in which any two individuals of ...
of
sea snail, a
marine
Marine is an adjective meaning of or pertaining to the sea or ocean.
Marine or marines may refer to:
Ocean
* Maritime (disambiguation)
* Marine art
* Marine biology
* Marine debris
* Marine habitats
* Marine life
* Marine pollution
Military
* ...
gastropod mollusk
Mollusca is the second-largest phylum of invertebrate animals after the Arthropoda, the members of which are known as molluscs or mollusks (). Around 85,000 extant species of molluscs are recognized. The number of fossil species is es ...
in the
family
Family (from la, familia) is a group of people related either by consanguinity (by recognized birth) or affinity (by marriage or other relationship). The purpose of the family is to maintain the well-being of its members and of society. Idea ...
Trochidae
The Trochidae, common name top-snails or top-shells, are a family of various sized sea snails, marine gastropod molluscs in the subclass Vetigastropoda. This family is commonly known as the top-snails because in many species the shell resembles ...
, the top snails.
[Marshall, B. (2013). Cantharidella picturata (A. Adams & Angas, 1864). Accessed through: World Register of Marine Species at http://www.marinespecies.org/aphia.php?p=taxdetails&id=719221 on 2014-01-11]
Description
The size of the shell varies between 4 mm and 8 mm. The small, narrowly umbilicate shell has a conical shape. It is excessively variable in coloration, the following patterns are most usual:
# Whitish with longitudinal broad or narrow red or crimson flames reaching to the periphery, the ground-color and base dotted with red. The flames are frequently interrupted in the middle by a dotted zone.
# The ground-color is clear yellowish or whitish, the lirae dotted with red. This pattern frequently shows short flames of red under the
sutures. the entire surface is purplish black, the
umbilicus
Umbilicus may refer to:
*The navel or belly button
*Umbilicus (mollusc), a feature of gastropod, Nautilus and Ammonite shell anatomy
* ''Umbilicus'' (plant), a genus of over ninety species of perennial flowering plants
*Umbilicus urbis Romae
The ...
green-tinged.
# Except the last variety, all are whitish around the umbilicus. In all, the inside of the umbilicus and the
columella
Lucius Junius Moderatus Columella (; Arabic: , 4 – ) was a prominent writer on agriculture in the Roman Empire.
His ' in twelve volumes has been completely preserved and forms an important source on Roman agriculture, together with the ...
are tinged with green.
The
spire
A spire is a tall, slender, pointed structure on top of a roof of a building or tower, especially at the summit of church steeples. A spire may have a square, circular, or polygonal plan, with a roughly conical or pyramidal shape. Spires are ...
is elevated, conical, rather obtuse. The sutures are impressed. The five to six
whorl
A whorl ( or ) is an individual circle, oval, volution or equivalent in a whorled pattern, which consists of a spiral or multiple concentric objects (including circles, ovals and arcs).
Whorls in nature
File:Photograph and axial plane flo ...
s are convex. They are encircled by lirae, usually 5 or 6 in number on the penultimate whorl, but very variable. The
body whorl shows a prominent rib at the periphery, convex beneath. The
aperture
In optics, an aperture is a hole or an opening through which light travels. More specifically, the aperture and focal length of an optical system determine the cone angle of a bundle of rays that come to a focus in the image plane.
An ...
is quadrangular, delicately ribbed within and iridescent, green predominating. The
columella
Lucius Junius Moderatus Columella (; Arabic: , 4 – ) was a prominent writer on agriculture in the Roman Empire.
His ' in twelve volumes has been completely preserved and forms an important source on Roman agriculture, together with the ...
is arcuate above, then straight and oblique, terminating near the base in a slight denticle.
This is a beautiful little species, usually either flamed with dark red or dotted all over with pink. The ground-color sometimes has a green cast, or is pink.
Tryon (1889), Manual of Conchology XI, Academy of Natural Sciences, Philadelphia
/ref>
Distribution
This marine species is endemic
Endemism is the state of a species being found in a single defined geographic location, such as an island, state, nation, country or other defined zone; organisms that are indigenous to a place are not endemic to it if they are also found els ...
to Australia and occurs off Queensland
)
, nickname = Sunshine State
, image_map = Queensland in Australia.svg
, map_caption = Location of Queensland in Australia
, subdivision_type = Country
, subdivision_name = Australia
, established_title = Before federation
, established_ ...
, New South Wales
)
, nickname =
, image_map = New South Wales in Australia.svg
, map_caption = Location of New South Wales in AustraliaCoordinates:
, subdivision_type = Country
, subdivision_name = Australia
, established_title = Before federation
, es ...
, Victoria
Victoria most commonly refers to:
* Victoria (Australia), a state of the Commonwealth of Australia
* Victoria, British Columbia, provincial capital of British Columbia, Canada
* Victoria (mythology), Roman goddess of Victory
* Victoria, Seychelle ...
and Tasmania
)
, nickname =
, image_map = Tasmania in Australia.svg
, map_caption = Location of Tasmania in AustraliaCoordinates:
, subdivision_type = Country
, subdi ...
.
References
Further reading
* Adams, A. & Angas, G.F. 1864. ''Descriptions of new species of shells, chiefly from Australia in the collection of Mr Angas''. Proceedings of the Zoological Society of London 1864: 35-40
* Fischer, P. 1878. ''Genres Calcar, Trochus, Xenophora, Tectarius et Risella''. pp. 241–336 in Keiner, L.C. (ed.). Spécies general et iconographie des coquilles vivantes. Paris : J.B. Baillière Vol. 11.
* Tate, R. & May, W.L. 1901. ''A revised census of the marine Mollusca of Tasmania.'' Proceedings of the Linnean Society of New South Wales 26(3): 344-471
* Hedley, C. 1916. ''Studies on Australian Mollusca. Part 13.'' Proceedings of the Linnean Society of New South Wales 41: 680-719
* Hedley, C. 1918. ''A checklist of the marine fauna of New South Wales. Part 1''. Journal and Proceedings of the Royal Society of New South Wales 51: M1-M120
* May, W.L. 1921. ''A Checklist of the Mollusca of Tasmania''. Hobart, Tasmania : Government Printer 114 pp.
* May, W.L. 1923. ''An Illustrated Index of Tasmanian Shells''. Hobart : Government Printer 100 pp.
* Allan, J.K. 1950. ''Australian Shells: with related animals living in the sea, in freshwater and on the land. Melbourne'' : Georgian House xix, 470 pp., 45 pls, 112 text figs.
* Macpherson, J.H. & Gabriel, C.J. 1962. ''Marine Molluscs of Victoria''. Melbourne : Melbourne University Press & National Museum of Victoria 475 pp
* Hickman, C.S. & McLean, J.H. 1990. ''Systematic revision and suprageneric classification of trochacean gastropods.'' Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County. Science Series 35: i-vi, 1-169
* Wilson, B. 1993. ''Australian Marine Shells. Prosobranch Gastropods''. Kallaroo, Western Australia : Odyssey Publishing Vol. 1 408 pp.
External links
To World Register of Marine Species
*
{{Taxonbar, from=Q13453083
picturata
Gastropods of Australia
Gastropods described in 1864