''Trochus erithreus'' 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 small

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 ...

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 ...

Trochidae The Trochidae, common name top-snails or top-shells, are a family of various sized sea snails, marine gastropod molluscs in the subclass Vetigastropoda. This family is commonly known as the top-snails because in many species the shell resembles ...

, the top snails.Bouchet, P.; Rosenberg, G.; Gofas, S. (2014). Trochus erithreus Brocchi, 1821. Accessed through: World Register of Marine Species at http://www.marinespecies.org/aphia.php?p=taxdetails&id=225666 on 2014-06-14

Description

The height of the shell varies between 33 mm and 35 mm, its diameter between 37 mm and 40 mm. The rather thin and inflated shell has a conical shape and is false-umbilicate. The

apex The apex is the highest point of something. The word may also refer to: Arts and media Fictional entities * Apex (comics), a teenaged super villainess in the Marvel Universe * Ape-X, a super-intelligent ape in the Squadron Supreme universe *Apex ...

is acute. The about 7

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 somewhat concave and generally traversed by several conspicuously granose lirae in the middle. They are a little gibbous above and below, obliquely undulate below the sutures, and frequently on the periphery also. The whole surface is more or less finely spirally lirate with subgranulose lirae. The convex base of the shell is concentrically lirate with about 7 granose narrow lirae. Their interstices are generally occupied by concentric striae. The color of the shell is cinereous grayish or pinkish, striped and maculated above with reddish; unicolored pinkish or radiately marked below. The large

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 smooth and pearly within. The basal

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 simple. The oblique

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 ...

is very deeply inserted, its entire edge nearly straight, not dentate. The deep umbilical tract is narrow, pearly. bearing a single strong spiral white rib near its base, which does not attain the edge of the

It feeds on algae and is often seen by divers.

Distribution

This species occurs in the Indian Ocean (

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 ...

Region), the

Red Sea The Red Sea ( ar, البحر الأحمر - بحر القلزم, translit=Modern: al-Baḥr al-ʾAḥmar, Medieval: Baḥr al-Qulzum; or ; Coptic: ⲫⲓⲟⲙ ⲛ̀ϩⲁϩ ''Phiom Enhah'' or ⲫⲓⲟⲙ ⲛ̀ϣⲁⲣⲓ ''Phiom ǹšari''; T ...

, the Persian Gulf (off

Kuwait Kuwait (; ar, الكويت ', or ), officially the State of Kuwait ( ar, دولة الكويت '), is a country in Western Asia. It is situated in the northern edge of Eastern Arabia at the tip of the Persian Gulf, bordering Iraq to the nort ...

), the

Mediterranean Sea The Mediterranean Sea is a sea connected to the Atlantic Ocean, surrounded by the Mediterranean Basin and almost completely enclosed by land: on the north by Western and Southern Europe and Anatolia, on the south by North Africa, and on the ea ...

(as a

Lessepsian migrant The Lessepsian migration (also called Erythrean invasion) is the migration of marine species across the Suez Canal, usually from the Red Sea to the Mediterranean Sea, and more rarely in the opposite direction. When the canal was completed in 18 ...

) and in the Northern Atlantic Ocean.

References

* Brocchi (1821). ''Continuazione e fine del catalogo delle conchiglie raccolte dal Sig. G. Forni nel seno Arabico ed illustrate dal Sig. Brocchi''. Biblioteca Italiana : 24: 209–226. page(s): * Spry, J.F. (1961). ''The sea shells of Dar es Salaam: Gastropods''. Tanganyika Notes and Records 56 * Taylor, J.D. (1973). ''Provisional list of the mollusca of Aldabra Atoll''. * Bosch D.T., Dance S.P., Moolenbeek R.G. & Oliver P.G. (1995) ''Seashells of eastern Arabia''. Dubai: Motivate Publishing. 296 pp * Gofas, S.; Le Renard, J.; Bouchet, P. (2001). Mollusca, in: Costello, M.J. et al. (Ed.) (2001). ''European register of marine species: a check-list of the marine species in Europe and a bibliography of guides to their identification.'' Collection Patrimoines Naturels, 50: pp. 180–213 * Streftaris, N.; Zenetos, A.; Papathanassiou, E. (2005). ''Globalisation in marine ecosystems: the story of non-indigenous marine species across European seas.'' Oceanogr. Mar. Biol. Annu. Rev. 43: 419–453

External links

* {{Taxonbar, from=Q6031646 erithreus Gastropods described in 1821