Notoacmea scopulina

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Notoacmea scopulina
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Mollusca
Class: Gastropoda
Order: Patellogastropoda
Suborder: Nacellina
Superfamily: Lottioidea
Family: Acmaeidae
Subfamily: Acmaeinae
Genus: Notoacmea
Species: N. scopulina
Binomial name
Notoacmea scopulina
Oliver, 1926

Notoacmea scopulina is a species of sea snail or true limpet, a marine gastropod mollusc in the family Acmaeidae.

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[edit] Distribution

This limpet is endemic to New Zealand, being found on the west coasts of both the North and South islands between Auckland and Charleston.

[edit] Habitat

This species is found on surf-beaten rock faces.

[edit] Description

The shell is moderately large, solid, ovate, of low elevation, and with the apex towards the slightly narrowed anterior end. The surface is sculptured with from 25 to 30 strong rounded radial ridges.

Colour of the shell exterior is light greyish or buff, but usually either eroded or encrusted with pink Melobesia coralline algae. The interior is variable, with broad brown radial stripes, almost reaching the centre in young examples, but in more mature shells the central area is covered with white enamel, often with an irregular patch of brown, and the external rays show through only as a narrow peripheral border.

The shell length is up to 19 mm, width 15 mm, and height 5 mm.

[edit] References