''Tectarius pagodus'' 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 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 ...

Littorinidae The Littorinidae are a taxonomic family of over 200 species of sea snails, marine gastropod molluscs in the clade Littorinimorpha, commonly known as periwinkles and found worldwide. Names In English-speaking countries, gastropod molluscs f ...

. That family is commonly known as the winkles or periwinkles.

Description

This species is the largest member of the genus

Tectarius ''Tectarius'' is a genus of sea snails, marine gastropod mollusks in the family Littorinidae The Littorinidae are a taxonomic family of over 200 species of sea snails, marine gastropod molluscs in the clade Littorinimorpha, commonly k ...

, and (like the rest of the family Littorinidae) is an herbivor.Harasewych, M.G. and Moretzsohn, Fabio.
The Book of Shells: A Life-Size Guide to Identifying and Classifying Six Hundred Seashells
', p. 827 (University of Chicago Press, 2014).

Distribution

This species is endemic to the

Indo-Pacific The Indo-Pacific is a vast biogeographic region of Earth. In a narrow sense, sometimes known as the Indo-West Pacific or Indo-Pacific Asia, it comprises the tropical waters of the Indian Ocean, the western and central Pacific Ocean, and the ...

.Vermeij, G.J.
Molluscan marginalia: Serration at the lip edge in gastropods
, ''

Journal of Molluscan Studies The ''Journal of Molluscan Studies'' is the peer-reviewed scientific journal of the Malacological Society of London, covering research in malacology.

'' (2014). It can be found in the upper part of the

intertidal zone The intertidal zone, also known as the foreshore, is the area above water level at low tide and underwater at high tide (in other words, the area within the tidal range). This area can include several types of habitats with various species ...

along rocky shores, and therefore does not often get submerged.

Description

Distribution

References

Further reading