Murdochella alacer

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Murdochella alacer
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Mollusca
Class: Gastropoda
Subclass: Prosobranchia
Order: Heterogastropoda
Family: Epitoniidae
Genus: Murdochella
Species: M. alacer
Binomial name
Murdochella alacer
Finlay, 1927

Murdochella alacer is a species of minute wentletrap, a sea snail, a marine gastropod mollusk or micromollusk in the family Epitoniidae, commonly known as wentletraps

Contents

[edit] Distribution

This species is endemic to New Zealand. It is found off the northern tip of the North Island, and around Cuvier Island and the Hen and Chickens Islands.

[edit] Habitat

This species of wentletrap is found at depths of between 45 and 140 m.

[edit] Shell description

The shell is similar to Murdochella levifoliata in its adult sculpture, but the shell is broader, with a less slender spire, and has a different protoconch that has only the small incoiled tip smooth, the rest of the protoconch with distant strong axial ribs.

The shell coloration is uniformly creamy-buff.

The shell height is up to 4.7 mm, and width 1.7 mm.

[edit] References