''Homalopoma quantillum'' 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 ...

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 ...

Colloniidae Colloniidae is a family of small sea snails with calcareous opercula, marine gastropod mollusks in the clade Vetigastropoda.MolluscaBase eds. (2020). MolluscaBase. Colloniidae Cossmann, 1917. Accessed through: World Register of Marine Species at ...

. ;Subspecies: * ''Homalopoma quantillum carmineum'' (Bartsch, 1915) * ''Homalopoma quantillum quantillum'' (Gould, 1861)

Description

The size of the shell varies between 2 mm and 3.5 mm. It is a small, rose-colored, solid shell with a depressed-orbicular shape. it contains four

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

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 circular. The outer lip is thick. The columella has a strong slope. The periphery of the base is blunt.G.W. Tryon (1888), Manual of Conchology X; Academy of Natural Sciences, Philadelphia
(described in Latin as ''Collonia quantilla'')

Distribution

This marine species has been found off Jeffrey's Bay, South Africa

References

* Kilburn, R.N. & Rippey, E. (1982) ''Sea Shells of Southern Africa''. Macmillan South Africa, Johannesburg, xi + 249 pp. page(s): 48

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Homalopoma Quantillum Colloniidae Gastropods described in 1861