''Innesoconcha segna'', also known as the pale glass-snail, 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
land snail
A land snail is any of the numerous species of snail that live on land, as opposed to the sea snails and freshwater snails. ''Land snail'' is the common name for terrestrial gastropod mollusks that have shells (those without shells are known as ...
that is
endemic
Endemism is the state of a species being found in a single defined geographic location, such as an island, state, nation, country or other defined zone; organisms that are indigenous to a place are not endemic to it if they are also found elsew ...
to
Australia
Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a Sovereign state, sovereign country comprising the mainland of the Australia (continent), Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous List of islands of Australia, sma ...
's
Lord Howe Island
Lord Howe Island (; formerly Lord Howe's Island) is an irregularly crescent-shaped volcanic remnant in the Tasman Sea between Australia and New Zealand, part of the Australian state of New South Wales. It lies directly east of mainland P ...
in the
Tasman Sea
The Tasman Sea (Māori: ''Te Tai-o-Rēhua'', ) is a marginal sea of the South Pacific Ocean, situated between Australia and New Zealand. It measures about across and about from north to south. The sea was named after the Dutch explorer Abe ...
.
Taxonomy
''I. segna'' is sometimes considered to be a junior
synonym
A synonym is a word, morpheme, or phrase that means exactly or nearly the same as another word, morpheme, or phrase in a given language. For example, in the English language, the words ''begin'', ''start'', ''commence'', and ''initiate'' are all ...
of ''
I. catletti''. However, the two forms exhibit differences in their shells as well as their
genital anatomy, and they are treated as separate species by Hyman & Köhler (2020).
Description
The depressedly trochoidal shell of the mature snail is 5.9–7.8 mm in height, with a low spire and a diameter of 10.7–12 mm. It is glossy and pale golden-yellow in colour The whorls are rounded, with finely incised spiral grooves. It has an ovately lunate aperture and closed
umbilicus. The body of the animal (in alcohol) is light orange-brown.
Distribution and habitat
The snail is evidently very rare and known only from the localities of Boat Harbour and Rocky Run Creek on the island. It has only been collected in low numbers, and may be extinct.
References
*
segna
Gastropods of Lord Howe Island
Taxa named by Tom Iredale
Gastropods described in 1944
{{Euconulidae-stub