''Fossarina legrandi'', common name Legrand's top shell, is a
species of very 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
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 ...
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 Trochidae, the top snails.
[MolluscaBase eds. (2020). MolluscaBase. Fossarina legrandi Petterd, 1879. Accessed through: World Register of Marine Species at: https://www.marinespecies.org/aphia.php?p=taxdetails&id=719229 on 2020-11-25]
Description
The shell grows to a length of 5 mm. The small, thin shell has a depressed globose shape. It is highly polished, translucent and rich brown. The minute spire contains 2½
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 and is very little elevated. The
suture is much impressed. The
aperture is inflately lunate. It is tinged white and faintly dilate at the inner portion.
Petterd, W. 1879. ''New species of Tasmanian marine shells''. Journal of Conchology 2: 102-105
/ref>
Distribution
This marine species is endemic to Australia and occurs off New South Wales, South Australia, Tasmania, Victoria and Western Australia.
References
* Tate, R. & May, W.L. 1901. ''A revised census of the marine Mollusca of Tasmania''. Proceedings of the Linnean Society of New South Wales 26(3): 344-471
* Pritchard, G.B. & Gatliff, J.H. 1902. ''Catalogue of the marine shells of Victoria. Part V''. Proceedings of the Royal Society of Victoria 14(2): 85-138
* Verco, J.C. 1908. ''Notes on South Australian marine Mollusca with descriptions of new species. Part IX''. Transactions of the Royal Society of South Australia 32: 338-361
* May, W.L. 1921. ''A Checklist of the Mollusca of Tasmania''. Hobart, Tasmania : Government Printer 114 pp
* May, W.L. 1923. ''An Illustrated Index of Tasmanian Shells''. Hobart : Government Printer 100 pp
* Iredale, T. 1924. ''Results from Roy Bell's molluscan collections.'' Proceedings of the Linnean Society of New South Wales 49(3): 179-279, pl. 33-36
* Cotton, B.C. 1959. ''South Australian Mollusca. Archaeogastropoda''. Handbook of the Flora and Fauna of South Australia. Adelaide : South Australian Government Printer 449 pp.
* Iredale, T. & McMichael, D.F. 1962. ''A reference list of the marine Mollusca of New South Wales''. Memoirs of the Australian Museum 11: 1-109
* Macpherson, J.H. & Gabriel, C.J. 1962. ''Marine Molluscs of Victoria.'' Melbourne : Melbourne University Press & National Museum of Victoria 475 pp
* Wilson, B. 1993. ''Australian Marine Shells. Prosobranch Gastropods''. Kallaroo, Western Australia : Odyssey Publishing Vol. 1 408 pp.
* Grove, S. 2011. The Seashells of Tasmania: A Comprehensive Guide. Taroona, Australia: Taroona Publications. i 81
External links
Petterd, W. F. (1879). New species of Tasmanian marine shells. Journal of Conchology. 2: 102-105
{{Taxonbar, from=Q13637234
legrandi
Gastropods of Australia
Gastropods described in 1879