Struthiolaria papulosa
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| Struthiolaria papulosa (Martyn, 1784) |
Struthiolaria papulosa, known as the ostrich foot shell (as are all the members of the family), is a gastropod mollusc, endemic to the North Island and the northern half of the South Island of New Zealand. It is found near low tide in muddy sand beaches, buried just below the surface.
The shell is rather large and broadly ovate but with an acute turretted spire medially angled and studded with bluntly pointed tubercles. The rest of the surface is finely spirally lirate. The aperture has a heavily callused outer lip, and a broad spreading callus extending over the body whorl from the inner lip. The operculum is leaf-shaped, produced anteriorly into a long hooked spike, and is very small for the size of the shell.
Coloration is pinkish-buff, with numerous flexuous axial narrow stripes in reddish-brown to purplish-brown. The apertural callus is white tinged around the outer lip and at the anterior end with chestnut-brown. The interior of the aperture is purplish-brown. The body and tentacles of the animal are reddish orange.
In earlier days this species was a favoured food of the Māori.
Height is up to 80 mm, and width 48 mm
[edit] References
- Miller M & Batt G, Reef and Beach Life of New Zealand, William Collins (New Zealand) Ltd, Auckland, New Zealand 1973
- Powell A W B, New Zealand Mollusca, William Collins Publishers Ltd, Auckland, New Zealand 1979 ISBN 0-00-216906-1
- Glen Pownall, New Zealand Shells and Shellfish, Seven Seas Publishing Pty Ltd, Wellington, New Zealand 1979 ISBN 85467 054 8
