Fautor onustus

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Fautor onustus
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Mollusca
Class: Gastropoda
Order: Archaeogastropoda
Family: Trochidae
Genus: Fautor
Species: F. onustus
Binomial name
Fautor onustus
(Onhner, 1924)
Synonyms

Calliostoma onustum Onhner, 1924

Fautor onustus is a small deepwater sea snail, a marine gastropod mollusc in the family Trochidae.

Contents

[edit] Distribution

This species is endemic to New Zealand, found off Three Kings Islands and 15 km north west of Cape Maria van Diemen.

[edit] Habitat

This deepwater top shell lives at depths of about 90 m.

[edit] Shell description

The shell is small, elongate-conic, with a tall narrow spire, weakly biangulate at the periphery of the body whorl. The spire whorls are flattened to slightly concave.

The shell coloration is highly iridescent, flashing green, red, blue and purple, but dead shells are opaque whitish.

The shell height is up to 7 mm, and the width is up to 4.5 mm.

[edit] References