''Eatoniella smithae'' is a species of

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

Eatoniellidae Eatoniellidae, commonly known as eatoniellids, are a taxonomic family of minute sea snails, marine gastropod molluscs in the superfamily Cingulopsoidea The Cingulopsoidea is a superfamily of sea snails, marine gastropod molluscs in the cl ...

. First described by Winston Ponder in 1965, it is endemic to the waters of New Zealand, and is one of the most common marine species found around

Stewart Island Stewart Island ( mi, Rakiura, ' glowing skies', officially Stewart Island / Rakiura) is New Zealand's third-largest island, located south of the South Island, across the Foveaux Strait. It is a roughly triangular island with a total land ar ...

Taxonomy

The species was first identified as ''Eatoniella (Dardanula) smithi'' by Winston Ponder, who named the species after Elsie Smith, an avid collector of

eatoniellid shells who collected the holotype. Since identification, the name ''Eatoniella smithi'' has been depreciated due to having the incorrect Latin gender ending, and the spelling ''Eatoniella smithae'' is now preferred.

Description

''Eatoniella smithae'' has five whorls, with a colour varying from uniformly dark purple-grey to pure white. The holotype measured 2.2mm by 1.3mm. The species has a similar shell to ''

Eatoniella olivacea ''Eatoniella'' is a genus of minute sea snails, marine gastropod mollusks in the family Eatoniellidae, the eatoniellids. Species Species within the genus ''Eatoniella'' include: * ''Eatoniella afronigra'' Ponder & Worsfold, 1994 * ''Eatoni ...

'', but can be distinguished by its taller length and paler colour.

Distribution

The species is endemic to New Zealand. The holotype was collected in September 1947 by Elsie Smith from

Halfmoon Bay, Stewart Island Halfmoon Bay lies on the eastern coast of Stewart Island/Rakiura in New Zealand. The town of Oban lies in the bay. A small fishing Fishing is the activity of trying to catch fish. Fish are often caught as wildlife from the natural envi ...

. The species is found around

, the lower

South Island The South Island, also officially named , is the larger of the two major islands of New Zealand in surface area, the other being the smaller but more populous North Island. It is bordered to the north by Cook Strait, to the west by the Tasman ...

, Fiordland and the

West Coast West Coast or west coast may refer to: Geography Australia * Western Australia *Regions of South Australia#Weather forecasting, West Coast of South Australia * West Coast, Tasmania **West Coast Range, mountain range in the region Canada * Britis ...

as far north as Haast. The species has also been identified on the Chatham and the Auckland islands. It is typically found on low-tide algae, and can thrive in deep water. The species appears to replace ''

'' at Stewart Island. The species is one of the most commonly found in the

Benthic zone The benthic zone is the ecological region at the lowest level of a body of water such as an ocean, lake, or stream, including the sediment surface and some sub-surface layers. The name comes from ancient Greek, βένθος (bénthos), meaning " ...

of the coast of Stewart Island.

References

{{Taxonbar, from=Q115272664 Eatoniellidae Gastropods described in 1965 Gastropods of New Zealand Endemic fauna of New Zealand Endemic molluscs of New Zealand Molluscs of the Pacific Ocean Stewart Island Taxa named by Winston Ponder