''Cantharidus antipodum'' is a
species 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
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 ...
mollusk in the
family Trochidae, the top snails.
[Rosenberg, G. (2012). ''Cantharidus antipoda'' (Hombron & Jacquinot, 1854). Accessed through: World Register of Marine Species at http://www.marinespecies.org/aphia.php?p=taxdetails&id=598210 on 2012-11-23]
Description
The length of the shell varies between 4 mm and 8 mm. The smooth, shining shell has a globose-conic shape. The small shell is composed of four to five convex
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 two first very small, convex and depressed; the others very large. The
sutures are linear. The
body whorl
The body whorl is part of the morphology of the shell in those gastropod mollusks that possess a coiled shell. The term is also sometimes used in a similar way to describe the shell of a cephalopod mollusk.
In gastropods
In gastropods, the b ...
is angled or rounded at the periphery. The base of the shell is slightly convex and impressed in the middle. The height of the spire is a little less than that of the aperture. The shell is subperforate or imperforate and contains a few distant fine spiral lirae, visible only under a good lens, more distinct on the base, and very fine close growth lines. The large
aperture is round, acute on the left, and with a flat border on the right margin. Its inside is smooth and highly iridescent. The
umbilicus is only indicated and nearly covered by the convex, sharp outer
lip. The columella is subvertical, arcuate, simple, slightly expanded and nearly covering the umbilicus. The shell is purplish-black. The upper whorls are iridescent, mostly with dark red spiral bands or green transverse bands, 1 or 2 on the spire whorls, 4 to 5 on the
body whorl
The body whorl is part of the morphology of the shell in those gastropod mollusks that possess a coiled shell. The term is also sometimes used in a similar way to describe the shell of a cephalopod mollusk.
In gastropods
In gastropods, the b ...
. Sometimes there are a number of whitish zigzag bands near the aperture. The
epidermis
The epidermis is the outermost of the three layers that comprise the skin, the inner layers being the dermis and hypodermis. The epidermis layer provides a barrier to infection from environmental pathogens and regulates the amount of water rele ...
is very thin and shining.
(Description of ''Cantharidus roseus'') The length of the shell varies between 4 mm and 12 mm. It grazes on kelp. The small, imperforate, thin, fragile shell has a globosely conoidal shape. Its sculpture consists of very finely spirally striated, with 30 striations on the penultimate
whorl and obscured on the
body whorl
The body whorl is part of the morphology of the shell in those gastropod mollusks that possess a coiled shell. The term is also sometimes used in a similar way to describe the shell of a cephalopod mollusk.
In gastropods
In gastropods, the b ...
by growth lines. The colour is variable and typical. The 2 apical whorls are white or pinkish-white, on the third whorl 2 purplish bands equidistant from the sutures arise. The 4th whorl is wholly purplish-black, as is the body whorl. In some shells these bands persist on to the last 2 whorls. Additional bands arise so that on the body whorl 5 distinct bands can be counted. Rarely additional minute bands can be seen between these principal bands. In some cases the purple on the last whorl breaks up into irregular dashes. The shells found at ShagPoint are mostly light-coloured. Some have almost a white ground colour, with 5 separate distant bands. Others have a pinkish ground colour, with darker markings between the principal bands. Whilst in some the bands on the body whorl are broken up into dots.
The
spire is very short. and contains five
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 body whorl is very large, rapidly descending. The
suture is distinctly marked. The
aperture is large and round. The outer
lip is thin, edged with a thin band of white, inside iridescent. The
columella is subvertical, semicurved, expanding as a callus over the
umbilicus.
Suter H. (1913-1915), Manual of New Zealand Mollusca; Wellington, N. Z. :J. Mackay, govt. printer,1913-1915
(described as ''Photinula decepta'')
Distribution
This marine species occurs off the subantarctic islands of New Zealand.
Subspecies
* ''Cantharidus antipodum antipodum' (Hombron & Jacquinot, 1854):'' synonym of ''Cantharidus antipodum (Hombron & Jacquinot, 1848)''
* ''Cantharidus antipoda hinemoa'' (Powell, 1955): synonym of ''Cantharidus antipodum'' (Hombron & Jacquinot, 1848)
* ''Cantharidus antipoda puysegurensis'' (Powell, 1939): synonym of ''Cantharidus puysegurensis
''Cantharidus antipoda puysegurensis'' is a subspecies of marine gastropod mollusc in the family Trochidae, the top shells.MolluscaBase eds. (2020). MolluscaBase. Cantharidus puysegurensis (Powell, 1939). Accessed through: World Register of Marin ...
'' (Powell, 1939)
References
* Hombron J.B. & Jacquinot H. (1848 ovember. Atlas d'Histoire Naturelle. Zoologie par MM. Hombron et Jacquinot, chirurgiens de l'expédition. in: Voyage au Pôle Sud et dans l'Océanie sur les corvettes l'Astrolabe et la Zélée pendant les années 1837-1838-1839-1840 sous le commandement de M. Dumont-D'Urville capitaine de vaisseau publié sous les auspices du département de la marine et sous la direction supérieure de M. Jacquinot, capitaine de Vaisseau, commandant de La Zélée. Vingt-cinquiéme livraison. Mollusques pls 14, 16, 19, 22; Insectes lépidoptéres pl. 3.
* Hutton, F. W. (1873). Catalogue of the marine Mollusca of New Zealand with diagnoses of the species. Didsbury, Wellington. xx + 116 pp.
* Iredale, T. (1908). Notes on some New Zealand marine molluscs. Transactions of the New Zealand Institute. 40: 373-387.
* Powell, A.W.B. (1955) Mollusca of the southern islands of New Zealand. Department of Scientific and Industrial Research Cape Expedition Series Bulletin, 15, 1–151, 5 pls.
* Powell, A.W.B. 1979: ''New Zealand Mollusca: Marine, Land and Freshwater Shells''. Collins, Auckland 500p.
* Spencer, H.G.; Marshall, B.A.; Maxwell, P.A.; Grant-Mackie, J.A.; Stilwell, J.D.; Willan, R.C.; Campbell, H.J.; Crampton, J.S.; Henderson, R.A.; Bradshaw, M.A.; Waterhouse, J.B.; Pojeta, J. Jr (2009). ''Phylum Mollusca: chitons, clams, tusk shells, snails, squids, and kin'', in: Gordon, D.P. (Ed.) (2009). New Zealand inventory of biodiversity: 1. Kingdom Animalia: Radiata, Lophotrochozoa, Deuterostomia. pp. 161–254.
External links
To World Register of Marine Species
*
{{Taxonbar, from=Q3141820
antipodum
Gastropods of New Zealand
Gastropods described in 1854