''Vaceuchelus natalensis'' 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
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
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Marine or marines may refer to:
Ocean
* Maritime (disambiguation)
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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
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 ...
Chilodontidae.
[Bouchet, P. (2012). ''Vaceuchelus natalensis'' (E.A. Smith, 1906). Retrieved 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=547173 on 2013-04-14
Description
The size of the shell varies between 2 mm and 4 mm.
A beautiful little, dark white, globose-turbinate species that contains 4½ whorls. It is allied to ''A. foveolatus'' (
A. Adams, 1853) from Lord Hood Island. It is, however, much smaller than that species. It is more delicately sculptured, the spiral keels being regular and simple, whereas in ''A. foveolatus'' they are subspinose where the oblique lamellas join them. Besides the six carinas mentioned above, a seventh is noticeable upon 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 ...
close to the suture, and this may be traced upon the penultimate volution also.
Smith, E. A. 1906. On South African marine Mollusca, with descriptions of new species, Annals of the Natal Government Museum vol. 1:19-71
/ref>
Distribution
This marine species occurs off KwaZuluNatal, South Africa.
References
External links
To Encyclopedia of Life
To World Register of Marine Species
*
natalensis
Gastropods described in 1906
{{Chilodontidae-stub