''Cirsonella microscopia'' is a
species of extremely small
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
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* ...
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 or
micromollusk
A micromollusk is a shelled mollusk which is extremely small, even at full adult size. The word is usually, but not exclusively, applied to marine mollusks, although in addition, numerous species of land snails and freshwater mollusks also ...
in the
family Skeneidae
The Skeneidae are a speciose family of minute to small marine gastropod molluscs in the superfamily Trochoidea.Bouchet, P.; Gofas, S. (2013). Skeneidae. Accessed through: World Register of Marine Species at http://www.marinespecies.org/aphia.php ...
.
[Marshall, B. (2013). Cirsonella microscopia (Gatliff & Gabriel, 1910). Accessed through: World Register of Marine Species at http://www.marinespecies.org/aphia.php?p=taxdetails&id=720340 on 2013-10-13]
Description
(Original description by Gatliff & Gabriel:) The diameter of this very minute shell is 0.75 mm. The white, semitranslucent, deeply umbilicated shell consists of four rounded
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 that rapidly increase in size. The
apex is smooth, and is succeeded by lirate whorls. The lirae number about five on the penultimate whorl, which increase in number by intercalation to about fifteen at the outer edge of the
lip. The
aperture is circular. The outer lip is simple.
Proceedings of the Royal Society of Victoria v. 23 (1910-1911)
(described as ''Cyclostrema microscopica'')
Distribution
This marine species is endemic to Australia. It occurs off Victoria and the Bass Strait
Bass Strait () is a strait separating the island state of Tasmania from the Australian mainland (more specifically the coast of Victoria, with the exception of the land border across Boundary Islet). The strait provides the most direct waterwa ...
.
References
* Gabriel, C. & Gatliff, J.H. 1910. ''On some new species of Victorian marine Mollusca''. Proceedings of the Royal Society of Victoria ns 23(1): 82–86, pls 18, 19
* Cotton, B.C. 1959. ''South Australian Mollusca. Archaeogastropoda''. Handbook of the Flora and Fauna of South Australia. Adelaide : South Australian Government Printer 449 pp
External links
Australian Faunal Directory
microscopia
Gastropods described in 1910
{{Trochoidea-stub