Micrelenchus parcipictus

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Micrelenchus parcipictus
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Mollusca
Class: Gastropoda
Subclass: Prosobranchia
Order: Archaeogastropoda
Superfamily: Trochacea
Family: Trochidae
Genus: Micrelenchus
Species: M. parcipictus
Binomial name
Micrelenchus parcipictus
Powell, 1946

Micrelenchus parcipictus is a species of small sea snail which has a shell with a pearly interior. It is a marine gastropod mollusc in the family Trochidae, the top snails or top shells.

Contents

[edit] Distribution

This species is endemic to Otago in the South Island of New Zealand.

[edit] Habitat

This top snail is found under stones at low tide.

[edit] Shell description

The shell is turbinate-conic, solid, openly umbilicated, sculptured with heavy spiral cords, separated by linear interspaces, five on the spire whorls, and 13 on the body whorl and base.

Shell coloration is variable, ranging from almost uniformly greenish-grey, to examples with pale cream spire whorls, distantly radially streaked in dark brown.

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

[edit] References