''Tegula pfeifferi'' 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 ...

Tegulidae.Rosenberg, G. (2012). ''Tegula pfeifferi'' (Philiippi, 1846). 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=590971 on 2012-09-01 ''Tegula pfeifferi'' is more commonly known as "Pfeiffer's Top Shell".

Description

The height of the shell is 30 mm, its diameter 33 mm. The solid, umbilicate shell has a conical shape with an acutely angled periphery. It is dark purplish or brownish-purple and obliquely striate; the base radiately striate or streaked with white. The elevated

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 strictly conical. The

apex The apex is the highest point of something. The word may also refer to: Arts and media Fictional entities * Apex (comics), a teenaged super villainess in the Marvel Universe * Ape-X, a super-intelligent ape in the Squadron Supreme universe *Apex, ...

is eroded. The about 7

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 planulate above, the last acutely angular at the periphery. The whorls are smooth or with fine spiral striae, and ill-defined longitudinal folds. The base of the shell is smooth and obsoletely plano-concave. The subhorizontal

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 ...

occupies about half the area of the base. 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 dentate in the middle, expanded above in a white callus. The circular umbilicus is profound and surrounded by a white zone.Tryon (1889), Manual of Conchology XI, Academy of Natural Sciences, Philadelphia
(described as ''Chlorostoma pfeifferi'')

References

External links

To World Register of Marine Species

{{Taxonbar, from=Q7694790 Tegula (gastropod), pfeifferi Gastropods described in 1846 Marine gastropods

Description

See also

References

External links