''Clanculus consobrinus'' 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, a marine gastropod

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 group of people related either by consanguinity (by recognized birth) or affinity (by marriage or other relationship). The purpose of the family is to maintain the well-being of its members and of society. Idea ...

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 resemb ...

, the top snails.Rosenberg, G. (2012). ''Clanculus consobrinus'' Tate, 1893. 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 specialis ...

at http://www.marinespecies.org/aphia.php?p=taxdetails&id=594191 on 2012-11-23

Description

The size of the shell varies between 8 mm and 13 mm. The shell is perforate and depressed. It is pinkish-brown, and sparsely black-dotted. The

spire A spire is a tall, slender, pointed structure on top of a roof of a building or tower, especially at the summit of church steeples. A spire may have a square, circular, or polygonal plan, with a roughly conical or pyramidal shape. Spires a ...

has a low-conic shape with an acute

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, ...

and 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 suture is subcanaliculate. The body whorl is obtusely bi-angular at the periphery. The base of the shell is somewhat convex. The

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 ...

is rounded and oblique. The outer and basal margins are lirate-dentate. The

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 oblique, neither tortuous above nor entering the umbilicus. Its front edge is plain, except a tooth at the base. The umbilicus is wide and deep, its margin crenate-dentate. The ornament of penultimate whorl consists of four equal and equidistant granulose lirae, and obliquely transverse raised threads. Of the body whorl, a small granulose lirais interposed between the third and fourth, anterior to the fourth are two smaller equally distant from one another, the fifth is slightly granulose, whilst the sixth, which is at the periphery, is broad and obtuse. The interspaces between the lirae are faintly spirally striate. The base has seven concentric lirae, the inner ones subgranose, the outer ones plain, with a few coincident striae in the interspaces.Transactions of the Royal Society of South Australia v.17 (1892-1893)
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Distribution

This species is endemic to Australia and occurs off

South Australia South Australia (commonly abbreviated as SA) is a state in the southern central part of Australia. It covers some of the most arid parts of the country. With a total land area of , it is the fourth-largest of Australia's states and territories ...

and

Western Australia Western Australia (commonly abbreviated as WA) is a state of Australia occupying the western percent of the land area of Australia excluding external territories. It is bounded by the Indian Ocean to the north and west, the Southern Ocean to th ...

References

* Tate, R. 1893. ''Some additions to the list of the Marine Gastropoda of South Australia''. Transactions of the Royal Society of South Australia 17(1): 189-202 * Wells, F.E. & Bryce, C.W. 1986. ''Seashells of Western Australia''. Perth : Western Australian Museum 207 pp. * Wilson B. (1993) ''Australian marine shells. Prosobranch gastropods. Vol. 1''. Odyssey Publishing, Kallaroo, Western Australia, 408 pp. * Jansen, P. 1995. ''A review of the genus Clanculus Montfort, 1810 (Gastropoda: Trochidae) in Australia, with description of a new subspecies and the introduction of a nomen novum.'' Vita Marina 43(1-2): 39-62

External links

To Biodiversity Heritage Library (2 publications)

To World Register of Marine Species
* {{Taxonbar, from=Q5125665 consobrinus Gastropods of Australia Gastropods described in 1893