Thoristella chathamensis dunedinensis

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Thoristella chathamensis dunedinensis
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Mollusca
Class: Gastropoda
Subclass: Prosobranchia
Order: Archaeogastropoda
Superfamily: Trochacea
Family: Trochidae
Genus: Thoristella
Species: T. chathamensis
Subspecies: T. chathamensis dunedinensis
Trinomial name
Thoristella chathamensis dunedinensis
(Suter, 1897)
Synonyms

Trochus opressus dunedinensis Suter, 1897
Trochus chathamensis dunedinensis Suter, 1913
Trochus chathamensis benthicola Finlay, 1927

Thoristella chathamensis dunedinensis is a subspecies of small sea snail, a marine gastropod mollusc in the family Trochidae, the top snails or top shell.

Contents

[edit] Distribution

This subspecies is endemic to New Zealand, found in the South Island south of Dunedin, Stewart Island, and the Snares Islands.

[edit] Habitat

These top snails are found under rocks at low tide.

[edit] Shell description

The shell has a taller spire than other members of the genus, with a lightly convex base, not flat.

The shell coloration is the same as Thoristella chathamensis aucklandica, except the maculations are dark olive-brown on a greyish-buff ground, and the protoconch is spirally lined in bright red.

The height and the width are both up to 9.5 mm.

[edit] References