''Bathymophila euspira'' 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 ...
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
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 ...
Solariellidae
Solariellidae is a family of small sea snails, marine gastropod mollusks in the superfamily Trochoidea (according to the taxonomy of the Gastropoda by Bouchet & Rocroi, 2005).Gofas, S. (2011). Solariellidae. Accessed through: World Register of ...
.
[Rosenberg, G. (2012). ''Bathymophila euspira'' (Dall, 1881). 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=598237 on 2012-12-03
Description
The height of the shell attains 7 mm. The conical shell is elevated, with a rather obtuse
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 ...
. It is shining and pearly white. It contains 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. The nucleus is translucent, white, and with a
sculpture
Sculpture is the branch of the visual arts that operates in three dimensions. Sculpture is the three-dimensional art work which is physically presented in the dimensions of height, width and depth. It is one of the plastic arts. Durable sc ...
of strong revolving threads, of which that nearest to the
suture is most pronounced, and continues, at first sharp, then with slight waves, then with oblique waves like the lay of a stranded rope. On the
body whorl
The body whorl is part of the morphology of the 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.
In gastropods
In gastropods, the b ...
there is a succession of well-elevated pinched-up points forming a band next the suture. The others disappear on the third whorl, and for the rest the shell is only marked by faint lines of growth here and there, a little more pronounced in the vicinity of the umbilical callus. The periphery has a tendency to carination. The base of the shell is rounded. The 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 rounded with a sharp margin. The simple
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 wo ...
is stout, thick, inseparable from a thick white callus which forms a lump over the umbilical pit. The end of the columella (broken in specimens seen so far) apparently form a sort of lump or thickened angle. The
suture is distinct throughout.
Tryon (1889), Manual of Conchology XI, Academy of Natural Sciences, Philadelphia
(described as ''Margarites euspira'')
Distribution
This species occurs in the following locations at depths between 713 m and 1472 m:
References
* Dall, W. H. 1881. ''Reports on the results of dredging, under the supervision of Alexander Agassiz, in the Gulf of Mexico, and in the Caribbean Sea, 1877–79, by the United States Coast Survey Steamer 'Blake,'.'' Bulletin of the Museum of Comparative Zoology 9: 33–144.
* Rosenberg, G., F. Moretzsohn, and E. F. García. 2009. ''Gastropoda (Mollusca) of the Gulf of Mexico'', Pp. 579–699 in Felder, D.L. and D.K. Camp (eds.), Gulf of Mexico–Origins, Waters, and Biota. Biodiversity. Texas A&M Press, College Station, Texas
External links
To World Register of Marine Species
{{Taxonbar, from=Q4869192
euspira
''Euspira'' is a genus of medium-sized sea snails, marine (ocean), marine gastropod molluscs in the subfamily Polinicinae of the family (biology), family Naticidae, the moon snails.Gofas, S. (2011). Euspira Agassiz, 1838. Accessed through: Worl ...
Gastropods described in 1881