''Turbonilla lactea'' is a
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 ...
, 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 ...
Pyramidellidae
Pyramidellidae, common name the pyram family, or pyramid shells, is a voluminous taxonomic family of mostly small and minute ectoparasitic sea snails, marine heterobranch gastropod molluscs. The great majority of species of pyrams are micromol ...
, the pyrams and their allies.
[Gofas, S. (2012). ''Turbonilla lactea'' (Linnaeus, 1758). 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=141072 on 2012-03-01
Description
The length of the shell varies between 3 mm and 8 mm. The shell consists of almost straight-sided whorls with deep, flat
sutures. Its shell, marked with "thick, flat, slightly sinuous, oblique costae" that are "indistinct on the first whorl" and prominent thereafter, has a milky-white colour, on which the ''Turbonilla lactea'' species name is based.
Distribution
This species occurs in the following locations:
* Atlantic Europe
* Azores Exclusive Economic Zone
* Belgian Exclusive Economic Zone
* British Isles
* Canary Islands
* Cape Verde
* Dorset
* European waters (ERMS scope)
* Goote Bank
* Greek Exclusive Economic Zone
* Irish Exclusive economic Zone
* Mediterranean Sea
* Portuguese Exclusive Economic Zone
* São Tomé and Príncipe Exclusive Economic Zone
* Spanish Exclusive Economic Zone
* United Kingdom Exclusive Economic Zone
* Wimereux
Notes
Additional information regarding this species:
* Synonymy: It is unclear why some British authors (e.g. Winckworth, 1932; Graham, 1971; McKay & Smith, 1979) prefer the junior synonym ''Turbonilla elegantissima'' (
Montagu, 1803).
References
External links
Biodiversity Heritage Library (45 publications)CLEMAMEncyclopedia of LifeGenBankMarine Species Identification PortalWorld Register of Marine Species*
{{Taxonbar, from=Q7854289
lactea
Gastropods described in 1758
Taxa named by Carl Linnaeus
Molluscs of the Atlantic Ocean
Molluscs of the Mediterranean Sea
Invertebrates of the North Sea