''Graphicomassa ligula'' 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 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 ...
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 ...
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 ...
Columbellidae
The Columbellidae, the dove snails or dove shells, are a family of minute to small sea snails, marine gastropod mollusks in the order Neogastropoda.Bouchet, P.; Gofas, S. (2010). Columbellidae. In: Bouchet, P.; Gofas, S.; Rosenberg, G. (2010) Wo ...
, the dove snails.
[Rosenberg, G.; Bouchet, P. (2014). Graphicomassa ligula (Duclos, 1840). Accessed through: World Register of Marine Species at http://www.marinespecies.org/aphia.php?p=taxdetails&id=577124 on 29 May 2014]
Description
The shell size varies between 11 mm and 25 mm
File:Graphicomassa ligula 01.jpg, Unicoloured form
File:Graphicomassa ligula 02.jpg, Dotted form
File:Graphicomassa ligula 03.jpg, Flame-like pattern
File:Graphicomassa ligula 04.jpg, White with brown pattern
Distribution
This species occurs in the Indian Ocean off
Aldabra
Aldabra is the world's second-largest coral atoll, lying south-east of the continent of Africa. It is part of the Aldabra Group of islands in the Indian Ocean that are part of the Outer Islands of the Seychelles, with a distance of 1,120 k ...
and
Réunion
Réunion (; french: La Réunion, ; previously ''Île Bourbon''; rcf, label= Reunionese Creole, La Rényon) is an island in the Indian Ocean that is an overseas department and region of France. It is located approximately east of the island ...
and in the
Indo-West Pacific and off
New Zealand
New Zealand ( mi, Aotearoa ) is an island country in the southwestern Pacific Ocean. It consists of two main landmasses—the North Island () and the South Island ()—and over 700 smaller islands. It is the sixth-largest island count ...
References
* Duclos P.L. 1840. ''Histoire naturelle générale et particulière de tous les genres de coquilles univalves marines à l'état vivant et fossile publiée par monographie''. Genre Columbella, 1 p., 13 pls. Didot, Paris
* Taylor, J.D. (1973). ''Provisional list of the mollusca of Aldabra Atoll''
External links
*
Columbellidae
Gastropods described in 1835
{{Columbellidae-stub