''Clanculus margaritarius'', common name the beautiful clanculus, 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
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.
''Clanculus margaritarius multipunctatus''
Jansen, 1995: synonym of ''
Clanculus multipunctatus
''Clanculus multipunctatus''common name the beautiful clanculus, is a species of sea snail, a marine gastropod mollusk in the family Trochidae, the top snails.Bouchet, P. (2012). ''Clanculus multipunctatus'' Jansen, 1995. Accessed through: World ...
''
Jansen, 1995
Description
Shell Characteristics
The size of the shell varies between 9 mm and 20 mm. The very solid shell has an elate-conic shape. It is narrowly false-umbilicate, red or reddish brown, dotted with black; rosy at the
apex. The outlines of the spire are a little concave toward the apex. The spire contains about 7
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 are nearly flat above, with linear, impressed
sutures. 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 ...
descends anteriorly and is encircled by about 13 or 14 granose lirae every second one, or on some specimens every one articulated with black dots. The interstices are finely spirally and obliquely striate. The base of the shell is 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 opt ...
is tetragonal. The outer
lip bears within a strong tubercle above, and a few plicae on the outer and lower part. The short
columella is oblique, with a very slight fold above, very deeply entering the profound, extremely narrow axial pit, and at the base terminating in a large squarish trifid tooth. The parietal tract is finely wrinkled. The
umbilicus is bounded by a plicate rib.
H. Pilsbry, Manual of Conchology XI, Academy of Natural Sciences, Philadelphia
(described as ''Trochus unedo'')
Coloring
The phylum Mollusca
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 ...
is a highly diverse and rich species, with an abundant amount of color variations that is beneficial to learn from. From this family of Mollusca
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 ...
, studies are done to try to have a better understanding of pigmentation evolution, which can answer some bigger questions about color evolutions in the natural world.[Williams, S. T., Lockyer, A. E., Dyal, P., Nakano, T., Churchill, C. K., & Speiser, D. I. (dec 2017). Colorful seashells: Identification of haem pathway genes associated with the synthesis of porphyrin shell color in marine snails. ''Ecology and Evolution'', ''7''(23), 10379-10397. doi:10.1002/ece3.3552]
Coloring in shells can result from a multitude of factors, such as behavioral characteristics and the environment mollusks live in. Coloring in their shells can be associated with mating displays, diet, heritable traits and defense mechanisms. The coloring in ''Clanculus margaritarius'' is normally reddish brown, pinkish-red and yellowish-brown with black spots.
Distribution
This marine species has a wide distribution. It occurs in the Central and East Indian Ocean, China, East India, Indo-China, Indo-Malaysia, Japan, Loyalty Islands, Malaysia, New Caledonia, New Zealand, Oceania, Papua New Guinea, Solomon Islands, Taiwan and Queensland, and Australia.
References
* Philippi, R.A. 1846. ''Diagnoses testaceorum quorundam novarum''. Malakozoologische Blätter 1846: 97–106
* Adams, A. 1853. ''Contributions towards a monograph of the Trochidae, a family of gastropodous Mollusca''. Proceedings of the Zoological Society of London 1851(19): 150–192
* Melvill, J.C. & Standen, R. 1899. ''Report on the marine Mollusca obtained during the first expedition of Prof. A.C. Haddon to the Torres Straits in 1888–89.'' Journal of the Linnean Society of London, Zoology 27: 150–206, pls 1–2
* Melvill, J.C. & Sykes, E.R. 1899. ''Notes on a third collection of marine shells from the Andaman Islands, with descriptions of three new species of Mitra.'' Proceedings of the Malacological Society of London 3(4): 220–229
* Schepman, M.M. 1908. ''Prosobranchia (excluding Heteropoda and parasitic Prosobranchia). Rhipidoglossa and Docoglossa.'' With an appendix by Prof. R. Bergh ectinobranchiata Siboga-Expéditie Report 49(1): 1–108, 9 pls
* Fischer, P.J. 1927. ''Beitrag zur Kenntnis der Pliozän- fauna der Mollusken-Inseln Seran und Obi.'' 1–179, pls. 212–217 in Wanner, J. (ed.). Paläontologie von Timor. Vol. 15.
* Allan, J.K. 1950. ''Australian Shells: with related animals living in the sea, in freshwater and on the land''. Melbourne : Georgian House xix, 470 pp., 45 pls, 112 text figs
* Cernohorsky, W.O. 1972. ''Marine Shells of the Pacific''. Sydney : Pacific Publications Vol. 2 411 pp., 68 pls.
* Wilson, B. 1993. ''Australian Marine Shells. Prosobranch Gastropods.'' Kallaroo, Western Australia : Odyssey Publishing Vol. 1 408 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
* Poppe G.T., Tagaro S.P. & Dekker H. (2006) ''The Seguenziidae, Chilodontidae, Trochidae, Calliostomatidae and Solariellidae of the Philippine Islands''. Visaya Supplement 2: 1–228. page(s): 71
External links
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Clanculus Margaritarius
margaritarius
Gastropods described in 1849
Taxa named by Rodolfo Amando Philippi