''Stomatella ungula'' 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
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* Marine debris
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* ...
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.
[Marshall, B. (2013). Stomatella ungula (Hedley, 1907). Accessed through: World Register of Marine Species at http://www.marinespecies.org/aphia.php?p=taxdetails&id=718916 on 2014-04-07]
Description
(Original description by
Charles Hedley) The length of the shell attains 3.4 mm, its diameter 1.65 mm. The small, thin, attenuated shell has an oblong-ovate shape. It is, about twice as long as broad, arched. The minute
spire is flat and consists of two
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. It is at right angles to the shell's length and terminal. Its colour is white with irregular crimson splashes spirally arranged along the back. Its sculpture consists of fine spiral grooves decussated by growth lines. The
peristome is nearly in one plane and is angled above. The
columella is slightly thickened.
Charles Hedley, The Mollusca of Mast Head Reef, Capricorn Group, Queensland. Part II; Proceedings of the Linnean Society of New South Wales v. 32 (1907)
(described as ''Gena ungula'')
Distribution
This marine species is endemic to Australia
Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a Sovereign state, sovereign country comprising the mainland of the Australia (continent), Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous List of islands of Australia, sma ...
, and occurs off Queensland.
References
* Wilson, B. 1993. ''Australian Marine Shells. Prosobranch Gastropods''. Kallaroo, Western Australia : Odyssey Publishing Vol. 1 408 pp
External links
To World Register of Marine Species
{{Taxonbar, from=Q14404970
ungula
In solid geometry, an ungula is a region of a solid of revolution, cut off by a plane oblique to its base. A common instance is the spherical wedge. The term ''ungula'' refers to the hoof of a horse, an anatomical feature that defines a class of ...
Gastropods of Australia
Gastropods described in 1907