''Amoria benthalis'' is a
species of
sea snail
Sea snail is a common name for slow-moving marine gastropod molluscs, usually with visible external shells, such as whelk or abalone. They share the taxonomic class Gastropoda with slugs, which are distinguished from snails primarily by the ...
, a marine
gastropod
The gastropods (), commonly known as snails and slugs, belong to a large taxonomic class of invertebrates within the phylum Mollusca called Gastropoda ().
This class comprises snails and slugs from saltwater, from freshwater, and from land. T ...
mollusk in the
family Volutidae, the volutes.
Description
The length of the shell varies between 28 mm and 43 mm.
McMicheal was the first to describe them in 1964:
"Shell small, robust, with short spire, the apex bluntly rounded, the suture glazed over; body whorl large, weakly shouldered. Protoconch of 2 whorls, smooth, highly polished, uniform creamish-brown, adult whorls 2½, colour cream, with an ill-defined brown band just beneath the suture and two spiral bands of brown spots, one at the shoulder and one half-way between this and the anterior end of the shell, and with numerous fine, longitudinal reddish-brown lines spaced about 1 or 2 mm apart, slightly undulating, with two peaks at the positions of the bands of brown spots; anterior end of shell suffused with brown. Aperture gaping, white to orange, with four strong plaits; fasciole weakly developed. Animal unknown"
Distribution
This marine species have been found off
Australia
Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a Sovereign state, sovereign country comprising the mainland of the Australia (continent), Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous List of islands of Australia, sma ...
, from
Cape Moreton,
Queensland, to
Ballina,
New South Wales. They live on muddy sand bottoms at depths of 146–229 m.
References
* Bail P. & Limpus A. (2001) ''The genus Amoria''. In: G.T. Poppe & K. Groh (eds) A conchological iconography. Hackenheim: Conchbooks. 50 pp., 93 pls.
External links
Gastropods.com: ''Amoria undulata benthalis'' (f)
Volutidae
Gastropods described in 1964
{{Volutidae-stub