''Helcion concolor'',
common name
In biology, a common name of a taxon or organism (also known as a vernacular name, English name, colloquial name, country name, popular name, or farmer's name) is a name that is based on the normal language of everyday life; and is often contrast ...
the variable limpet, 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
true limpet
The Patellogastropoda, common name true limpets and historically called the Docoglossa, are members of a major phylogenetic group of marine gastropods, treated by experts either as a clade or as a taxonomic order.
The clade Patellogastropoda ...
, 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 ...
Patellidae
Patellidae is a taxonomic family of sea snails or true limpets, marine gastropod molluscs in the clade Patellogastropoda.
(The superfamily Patelloidea should not be confused with the similar-sounding genus of true limpets ''Patelloida'' which ...
, one of the families of true limpets.
Distribution
This species occurs in the Indian Ocean off
Mozambique
Mozambique (), officially the Republic of Mozambique ( pt, Moçambique or , ; ny, Mozambiki; sw, Msumbiji; ts, Muzambhiki), is a country located in southeastern Africa bordered by the Indian Ocean to the east, Tanzania to the north, Malawi ...
and
South Africa
South Africa, officially the Republic of South Africa (RSA), is the southernmost country in Africa. It is bounded to the south by of coastline that stretch along the South Atlantic and Indian Oceans; to the north by the neighbouring countri ...
.
Description
The size of the shell varies between 30 mm and 60 mm.
References
* Kalk, M. (1958). ''The fauna of the intertidal rocks at Inhaca Island, Delagoa Bay''. Ann. Natal Mus. 14: 189–242.
* Kilburn, R. N. 1972. ''Taxonomic notes on South African marine Mollusca (2), with the description of new species and subspecies of Conus, Nassarius, Vexillum and Demoulia''. Annals of the Natal Museum 21(2):391–437, 15 figs.
* Kilburn, R.N. & Rippey, E. (1982) ''Sea Shells of Southern Africa''. Macmillan South Africa, Johannesburg, xi + 249 pp. page(s): 37
* Steyn, D.G. & Lussi, M. (1998) ''Marine Shells of South Africa. An Illustrated Collector’s Guide to Beached Shells''. Ekogilde Publishers, Hartebeespoort, South Africa, ii + 264 pp. page(s): 16
* Koufopanou et al. (1999). ''A molecular phylogeny of the patellid limpets (Gastropoda: Patellidae) and its implications for the origins of their antitropical distribution'' Mol. Phylogenet. Evol. 11(1):138–156
Branch, G.M. et al. (2002). ''Two Oceans.'' 5th impression. David Philip, Cate Town & Johannesburg* Nakano & Ozawa (2007). ''Worldwide phylogeography of limpets of the order Patellogastropoda: Molecular, morphological and palaeontological evidence.'' Journal of Molluscan Studies 73(1) 79–99.
* Petit R.E. (2009) ''George Brettingham Sowerby, I, II & III: their conchological publications and molluscan taxa''. Zootaxa 2189: 1–218
External links
*
Patellidae
Gastropods described in 1848
Taxa named by Christian Ferdinand Friedrich Krauss
{{Patellidae-stub