''Chonospeira'' is a

monotypic genus In biology, a monotypic taxon is a taxonomic group (taxon) that contains only one immediately subordinate taxon. A monotypic species is one that does not include subspecies or smaller, infraspecific taxa. In the case of genera, the term "unispe ...

sea snail Sea snails are slow-moving marine (ocean), marine gastropod Mollusca, molluscs, usually with visible external shells, such as whelk or abalone. They share the Taxonomic classification, taxonomic class Gastropoda with slugs, which are distinguishe ...

, a marine

gastropod Gastropods (), commonly known as slugs and snails, belong to a large Taxonomy (biology), taxonomic class of invertebrates within the phylum Mollusca called Gastropoda (). This class comprises snails and slugs from saltwater, freshwater, and fro ...

mollusk Mollusca is a phylum of protostomic invertebrate animals, whose members are known as molluscs or mollusks (). Around 76,000 extant species of molluscs are recognized, making it the second-largest animal phylum after Arthropoda. The ...

in the

family Family (from ) is a Social group, group of people related either by consanguinity (by recognized birth) or Affinity (law), affinity (by marriage or other relationship). It forms the basis for social order. Ideally, families offer predictabili ...

Solariellidae Solariellidae is a family (biology), family of small sea snails, marine (ocean), marine gastropod mollusks in the superfamily Trochoidea (superfamily), Trochoidea (according to the Taxonomy of the Gastropoda (Bouchet & Rocroi, 2005), taxonomy of ...

.Rosenberg, G. (2012). ''Solariella nuda'' Dall, 1896. Accessed through:

World Register of Marine Species The World Register of Marine Species (WoRMS) is a taxonomic database that aims to provide an authoritative and comprehensive catalogue and list of names of marine organisms. Content The content of the registry is edited and maintained by scien ...

at http://www.marinespecies.org/aphia.php?p=taxdetails&id=534184 on 2012-12-03 Its sole accepted

species A species () is often defined as the largest group of organisms in which any two individuals of the appropriate sexes or mating types can produce fertile offspring, typically by sexual reproduction. It is the basic unit of Taxonomy (biology), ...

is ''Chonospeira nuda'', common name the naked solarelle''.''

Description

The height of the shell attains 15 mm, its diameter 19 mm. The smooth, polished shell has a turbinate shape. The four

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). In nature File:Photograph and axial plane floral diagra ...

s contain a few obscure spiral markings which do not interrupt the surface. This lack of ornament is remarkable. The color of the shell is white, with a pink or blue nacre glowing through. The whorls are rounded, flattened in front of the suture. The base of the shell is rounded. The wide

umbilicus Umbilicus may refer to: *The navel or belly button *Umbilicus (mollusc), a feature of gastropod, Nautilus and Ammonite shell anatomy *Umbilicus (plant), ''Umbilicus'' (plant), a genus of over ninety species of perennial flowering plants *Umbilicus ...

is funicular. The rounded

aperture In optics, the aperture of an optical system (including a system consisting of a single lens) is the hole or opening that primarily limits light propagated through the system. More specifically, the entrance pupil as the front side image o ...

is oblique, hardly angulate by the umbilical rib, and with a very short interruption between the inner and outer

lip The lips are a horizontal pair of soft appendages attached to the jaws and are the most visible part of the mouth of many animals, including humans. Mammal lips are soft, movable and serve to facilitate the ingestion of food (e.g. sucklin ...

s. The thin, pale yellow operculum is light brown and has about ten whorls.W.H. Dall (1908), The Mollusca and the Brachiopoda; Bulletin of the Museum of Comparative Zoology vol. XLIII no. 6, 1908; pl. 3 # 5, 7
/ref>

Distribution

This species occurs in the Pacific Ocean off

California California () is a U.S. state, state in the Western United States that lies on the West Coast of the United States, Pacific Coast. It borders Oregon to the north, Nevada and Arizona to the east, and shares Mexico–United States border, an ...

, USA to

Baja California Baja California, officially the Free and Sovereign State of Baja California, is a state in Mexico. It is the northwesternmost of the 32 federal entities of Mexico. Before becoming a state in 1952, the area was known as the North Territory of B ...

, Mexico

References

External links

Biodiversity Heritage Library (11 publications)

Encyclopedia of Life

USNM Invertebrate Zoology Mollusca Collection

ITIS

World Register of Marine Species
* {{Taxonbar, from=Q3733643 Solariellidae Gastropods described in 1896