''Modelia granosa'', common name the southern cat's eye, is a medium to large
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), ...
of
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 ...
which has a shell with a pearly interior and a calcareous
operculum. It is 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 ...
mollusc
Mollusca is a phylum of protostome, protostomic invertebrate animals, whose members are known as molluscs or mollusks (). Around 76,000 extant taxon, extant species of molluscs are recognized, making it the second-largest animal phylum ...
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 ...
Turbinidae
Turbinidae, the turban snails, are a family of small to large marine gastropod molluscs in the superfamily Trochoidea.Bouchet, P. (2014). Turbinidae Rafinesque, 1815. Accessed through: World Register of Marine Species at http://www.marinespecie ...
, the turban snails.
[Marshall, B.; Rosenberg, G. (2014). Modelia granosa (Martyn, 1784). Accessed through: World Register of Marine Species at http://www.marinespecies.org/aphia.php?p=taxdetails&id=413417 on 2014-09-02]
Description
The size of the shell varies between 25 mm and 80 mm.
The orbiculate, imperforate shell has a depressed-conic shape. It is, pinkish yellow, unicolored, or clouded with purplish or brown. The seven
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 are rounded, the upper two smooth, the others closely minutely granulose in regular spiral series. The
body whorl
The body whorl is part of the morphology (biology), morphology of the gastropod shell, shell in those gastropod mollusks that possess a coiled shell. The term is also sometimes used in a similar way to describe the shell of a cephalopod mollusk ...
is rounded and descending. The subcircular
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 white and iridescent within. The white
columella
Lucius Junius Moderatus Columella (, Arabic: ) was a prominent Roman writer on agriculture in the Roman Empire.
His in twelve volumes has been completely preserved and forms an important source on Roman agriculture and ancient Roman cuisin ...
is wide, subexcavated in the center. The thin callus is shining and rose-tinted.
The ovate
operculum is flat within, with 5-6 whorls and a subcentral nucleus. On its outside it is white, thick, subgibbous, and minutely tuberculate
at its center, subcanaliculate at its periphery.
G.W. Tryon (1888), Manual of Conchology X; Academy of Natural Sciences, Philadelphia
(described as ''Turbo granosus'')
Distribution
It is only known to occur in New Zealand
New Zealand () is an island country in the southwestern Pacific Ocean. It consists of two main landmasses—the North Island () and the South Island ()—and List of islands of New Zealand, over 600 smaller islands. It is the List of isla ...
.
Notes
Additional information regarding this species:
References
*
* Williams S.T., Karube S. & Ozawa T. (2008) ''Molecular systematics of Vetigastropoda: Trochidae, Turbinidae and Trochoidea redefined''. Zoologica Scripta 37: 483–506.
* Alf A. & Kreipl K. (2003). A Conchological Iconography: The Family Turbinidae, Subfamily Turbininae, Genus Turbo. Conchbooks, Hackenheim Germany
External links
*
{{Taxonbar, from=Q3139147
granosa
Gastropods of New Zealand
Gastropods described in 1784
Taxa named by Thomas Martyn (zoologist)