''Microtis tuberculata'' 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.Bouchet, P. (2012). ''Microtis tuberculata''. 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 list of names of marine organisms. Content The content of the registry is edited and maintained by scientific speciali ...

at http://www.marinespecies.org/aphia.php?p=taxdetails&id=547310 on 2012-11-23

Description

The size of the shell varies between 9 mm and 20 mm. The shell is much depressed, 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 ...

reaches only a trifle above the body whorl. The colour is variable; in both specimens a greenish-grey colour predominates. In the largest one, the top

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 variegated with crimson and a large patch of the same colour occupies the upper part of the body whorl, near 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 ...

. The upper part is covered by microscopic spiral rows of darker arrowhead-shaped spots, the basal part is more yellowish. The shell contains about 3½ whorls. The last whorl increases rapidly. They are very convex, with a deep suture, and short subsutural folds. The

sculpture Sculpture is the branch of the visual arts that operates in three dimensions. Sculpture is the three-dimensional art work which is physically presented in the dimensions of height, width and depth. It is one of the plastic arts. Durable sc ...

consists of a keel at some distance from the suture, enclosing a concave zone, and another keel near the periphery. Between these keels runs a row of elongated, slightly oblique tubercles. Moreover the whole shell is covered with fine spiral striae and still finer growth-striae. The aperture is very oblique, its upper margin concave near the body whorl, then strongly convex. The animal is large. The upper surface of the foot is granular and tuberculate, with three epipodial cirri, of which the third is placed on the detachable part of the foot. Schepman 1908-1913, The Prosobranchia of the Siboga Expedition; Leyden,E. J. Brill,1908-13
(described as ''Stomatia planulata'')

Distribution

This marine species occurs in the Indo-West Pacific, Oceania, Indo-Malaysia and Australia (

Northern Territory The Northern Territory (commonly abbreviated as NT; formally the Northern Territory of Australia) is an Australian territory in the central and central northern regions of Australia. The Northern Territory shares its borders with Western Au ...

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_ ...

Western Australia Western Australia (commonly abbreviated as WA) is a state of Australia occupying the western percent of the land area of Australia excluding external territories. It is bounded by the Indian Ocean to the north and west, the Southern Ocean to ...

)

References

External links

To Barcode of Life (1 barcode)

To Biodiversity Heritage Library (15 publications)

To Encyclopedia of Life

To World Register of Marine Species
* {{Taxonbar, from=Q6840429 tuberculata Gastropods described in 1850