''Phasianella australis'',
common names the Australian pheasant, painted lady, and pheasant snail, is a medium-sized to large
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 with a
calcareous
Calcareous () is an adjective meaning "mostly or partly composed of calcium carbonate", in other words, containing lime or being chalky. The term is used in a wide variety of scientific disciplines.
In zoology
''Calcareous'' is used as an ad ...
operculum and a colorfully patterned shell, a
marine gastropod mollusc in the family
Phasianellidae.
Description
This is the largest shell in the genus Phansianelle, with its height varying between 40 mm and 100 mm. The rather thin shell is elongatedand has a pointed-ovate shape. The conical
spire
A spire is a tall, slender, pointed structure on top of a roof of a building or tower, especially at the summit of church steeples. A spire may have a square, circular, or polygonal plan, with a roughly conical or pyramidal shape. Spires a ...
is elevated. The shell contains 7-8 somewhat 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. These are slightly flattened below the
sutures. The long-ovate
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 ...
is somewhat pyriform and forms usually less than half the total length of shell. The outer
lip
The lips are the visible body part at the mouth of many animals, including humans. Lips are soft, movable, and serve as the opening for food intake and in the articulation of sound and speech. Human lips are a tactile sensory organ, and can be ...
is thin. The
columella
Lucius Junius Moderatus Columella (; Arabic: , 4 – ) was a prominent writer on agriculture in the Roman Empire.
His ' in twelve volumes has been completely preserved and forms an important source on Roman agriculture, together with the wo ...
shows more or less a white shining callus. The surface of the shell is variously longitudinally clouded and transversely articulated with red and purple olive on a polished flesh-colored, cream or white ground. The color pattern is extremely variable.
G.W. Tryon (1888), Manual of Conchology X; Academy of Natural Sciences, Philadelphia
/ref>
Distribution
This marine species occurs off Australia and Tasmania
)
, nickname =
, image_map = Tasmania in Australia.svg
, map_caption = Location of Tasmania in AustraliaCoordinates:
, subdivision_type = Country
, subdi ...
.
References
* Rosenberg, G. 1992. ''Encyclopedia of Seashells''. Dorset: New York. 224 pp.
* Wilson, B. (1993). ''Australian Marine Shells. Prosobranch Gastropods''. Kallaroo, WA : Odyssey Publishing. Vol.1 1st Edn
External links
Australian Govt
Australian Government Species Bank
*
{{Taxonbar, from=Q7181005
Phasianellidae
Gastropods of Australia
Fauna of Western Australia
Gastropods described in 1788
Taxa named by Johann Friedrich Gmelin