''Skenea californica'', common name the California skenea, 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 ...

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 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 e ...

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 ...

Skeneidae The Skeneidae are a speciose family of minute to small marine gastropod molluscs in the superfamily Trochoidea.Bouchet, P.; Gofas, S. (2013). Skeneidae. Accessed through: World Register of Marine Species at http://www.marinespecies.org/aphia.php ...

.Rosenberg, G. (2012). ''Skenea californica'' (Bartsch, 1907). Accessed through:

World Register of Marine Species The World Register of Marine Species (WoRMS) is a taxonomic database that aims to provide an authoritative and comprehensive list of names of marine organisms. Content The content of the registry is edited and maintained by scientific specialist ...

at http://www.marinespecies.org/aphia.php?p=taxdetails&id=593055 on 2012-09-01

Description

(Original description by Paul Bartsch) The height of the shell attains 0.8 mm, its diameter 2.3 mm. The small, semitransparent shell has a planorboid shape. It is closely, spirally striated. The 3½ smooth, shining

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 are moderately rounded. The succeeding turns increase regularly in size, rendering the apex considerably lower than any of the succeeding turns. The last is the most elevated. The whorls are well rounded and separated by strongly impressed sutures and marked by many equally strong and equally spaced, somewhat wavy, incised spiral lines and fine incremental lines. At more or less regular intervals there appear slight constrictions which coincide with the lines of growth. The periphery of 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 well rounded. The base of the shell is well rounded, very broadly and openly umbilicate to the very apex, marked like the upper surface. The suboval

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 opt ...

is oblique. The outer lip is thin. The short columella forms an almost straight line with the faint callus of the parietal wall. P. Bartsch (1907), ''New mollusks of the family Vitrinellidae from the west coast of America''; Proceedings of the United States National Museum; v. 32 1907
(described as ''Cyclostremella californica'')

Distribution

This species occurs in the Pacific Ocean off

California California is a U.S. state, state in the Western United States, located along the West Coast of the United States, Pacific Coast. With nearly 39.2million residents across a total area of approximately , it is the List of states and territori ...

, USA.

References

External links

To World Register of Marine Species
{{Taxonbar, from=Q3727036 californica Gastropods described in 1907