''Paramontana mayana'', common name May's turrid, 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

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

Raphitomidae Raphitomidae is a family of small to medium-sized sea snails, marine gastropod mollusks in the superfamily Conoidea.Bouchet P. & Rocroi J.-P. (Ed.) (2005). "Classification and nomenclator of gastropod families". ''Malacologia'' 47(1-2). . 39 ...

.MolluscaBase (2019). MolluscaBase. Paramontana mayana (Hedley, 1922). Accessed through: World Register of Marine Species at: http://www.marinespecies.org/aphia.php?p=taxdetails&id=434582 on 2019-08-07

Description

The length of the shell attains 6 mm, its diameter 2 mm. (Original description) The small, lanceolate, subturretedshell is rather thin. Its colour is uniform white or uniform cinnamon, or white spotted with cinnamon. The shell contains 6

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, including a two-whorled

protoconch A protoconch (meaning first or earliest or original shell) is an embryonic or larval shell which occurs in some classes of molluscs, e.g., the initial chamber of an ammonite or the larval shell of a gastropod. In older texts it is also called ...

. The sculpture is variable, according as extra threads are or are not intercalated. The radials extendi from suture to base and traverse the basal furrow, narrow, discontinuous from whorl to whorl, perpendicular, twelve to fourteen to a whorl. The spirals number from eleven to fifteen, according to presence or absence of intercalated threads. On the snout six or seven close and knotted threads, then a wide basal furrow followed by from five to eight fine threads which by intersection with the radials on the peripheral area enclose large meshes. On the upper whorls are from two to four spirals. The aperture is open and toothless. The varix is much thicker than the ribs. The sinus is very small. The siphonal canal is short and open. Hedley, C. 1922. A revision of the Australian Turridae. Records of the Australian Museum 13(6): 213-359, pls 42-56

Distribution

This marine species is endemic to Australia and occurs off Tasmania.

References

* May, W.L. 1923. ''An illustrated index of Tasmanian shells: with 47 plates and 1052 species''. Hobart : Government Printer 100 pp. * Powell, A.W.B. 1966. ''The molluscan families Speightiidae and Turridae, an evaluation of the valid taxa, both Recent and fossil, with list of characteristic species.'' Bulletin of the Auckland Institute and Museum. Auckland, New Zealand 5: 1–184, pls 1–23

External links

*
Grove, S.J. (2018). A Guide to the Seashells and other Marine Molluscs of Tasmania: ''Paramontana mayana''
{{DEFAULTSORT:Paramontana mMyana mayana Gastropods described in 1922 Gastropods of Australia