''Calliostoma pellucidum '' (pellucid top shell) is a species of medium-sized

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 ...

mollusc 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 esti ...

in the family Calliostomatidae, the calliostoma top snails.WoRMS (2012). Calliostoma pellucidum (Valenciennes, 1846). Accessed through: World Register of Marine Species at http://www.marinespecies.org/aphia.php?p=taxdetails&id=467238 on 2012-12-13

Description

The height of the shell varies between 29 mm and 50 mm. The solid, conical shell is imperforate. Its color is yellowish with a few brown obliquely longitudinal streaks, and closely minutely dotted with brown and white on the numerous closely beaded lirae which encircle the

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. These lirae number about 8-10 on the penultimate whorl, and the same number on the last above the periphery. But owing to the frequent intercalation of lirulae between them, the number is subject to variation. Just at or just below the periphery there is a group of lirulae, closer and smaller than those of the upper surface. The rest of the base is regularly granose-lirate. The spire is longer and more elevated than in ''

Calliostoma punctulatum ''Maurea punctulata'' is a species of sea snail, a marine gastropod mollusk, in the family Calliostomatidae within the superfamily Trochoidea, the top snails, turban snails and their allies.MolluscaBase (2018). ''Maurea punctulata'' (Martyn, 178 ...

'', and more concave in outline. The apex is acute. The sutures are very slightly impressed. There are about nine, flattened whorls. 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 ...

is subangular at the periphery. The rhomboidal aperture is iridescent inside. The columellar margin is arcuate, with a slight tubercle at its base.Tryon (1889), Manual of Conchology XI, Academy of Natural Sciences, Philadelphia
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Distribution

This marine species occurs off New Zealand.

Description

Distribution

References

External links

Further reading