''Austrocochlea constellata'' is a

species In biology, a species is the basic unit of 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 the appropriate s ...

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 Marine is an adjective meaning of or pertaining to the sea or ocean. Marine or marines may refer to: Ocean * Maritime (disambiguation) * Marine art * Marine biology * Marine debris * Marine habitats * Marine life * Marine pollution Military * ...

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 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 e ...

in the

family Family (from la, familia) is a Social group, group of people related either by consanguinity (by recognized birth) or Affinity (law), affinity (by marriage or other relationship). The purpose of the family is to maintain the well-being of its ...

Trochidae The Trochidae, common name top-snails or top-shells, are a family of various sized sea snails, marine gastropod molluscs in the subclass Vetigastropoda. This family is commonly known as the top-snails because in many species the shell resembles ...

, the top snails.Bouchet, P. (2012). ''Diloma constellata'' Souverbie, 1863. 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 specialist ...

at http://www.marinespecies.org/aphia.php?p=taxdetails&id=546859 on 2012-11-23 This is a species inquerenda.

Description

The height of the shell attains 9 mm, its diameter 10 mm. The oblique, imperforate shell has an orbiculate-conic shape and is slightly elevated. The base of the shell is very wide. The shell is longitudinally very obliquely subtly striate, and marked with a few spiral subimpressed lines which are sometimes obsolete, leaving the surface smooth. The color is plumbeous ashen, often with a pink tinge, speckled closely with white dots, and encircled with two dark bands which are articulated with larger spots of white. The sutures are impressed. The five

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 floral ...

s are subconvex, the last forming the greater portion of the shell. They are compressed, obtusely angulated, depressed below the suture. The surface of the base is almost entirely occupied by the parieto-columellar area. The very oblique

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 opt ...

is pearly and iridescent inside. The thin outer lip acute, and continued on the base in an angle which bounds the columellar area. The thin, white columella is subhorizontal, very wide, subconcave, and bounded by a narrow brown streak outside. There is considerable variation in the color pattern. Unlike most of the species in this genus, the base is not lined with a white thickened continuation of the columella.Tryon (1889), Manual of Conchology XI, Academy of Natural Sciences, Philadelphia
(described as ''Monodonta constellata'')

Distribution

This marine species occurs off

New Caledonia ) , anthem = "" , image_map = New Caledonia on the globe (small islands magnified) (Polynesia centered).svg , map_alt = Location of New Caledonia , map_caption = Location of New Caledonia , mapsize = 290px , subdivision_type = Sovereign st ...

References

External links

To Biodiversity Heritage Library (1 publication)

To Encyclopedia of Life

To World Register of Marine Species
* Donald K.M., Kennedy M. & Spencer H.G. (2005) ''The phylogeny and taxonomy of austral monodontine topshells (Mollusca: Gastropoda: Trochidae), inferred from DNA sequences''. Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution 37: 474-483 {{Taxonbar, from=Q5277011 constellata Gastropods described in 1863