Turritriton tabulatus exaratus

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Turritriton tabulatus exaratus
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Mollusca
Class: Gastropoda
Order: Sorbeoconcha
Family: Ranellidae
Genus: Turritriton
Species: T. tabulatus
Subspecies: T. tabulatus exaratus
Trinomial name
Turritriton tabulatus exaratus
(Reeve, 1844)
Synonyms

Triton exaratus Reeve, 1844
Cymatium exaratum Suter

Turritriton tabulatus exaratus is a subspecies of sea snail, a marine gastropod mollusc in the family Ranellidae, the tritons.

[edit] Range of distribution

This subspecies is endemic to the north east coast of the North Island of New Zealand, and Australia.

[edit] Shell description

The shell is larger than Turritriton labiosus but with a wide flattened shoulder, and a moderately long siphonal canal. Flange-like axial varices ride high across the shoulder to above the suture, and there are five strong spiral keels.

Coloration is variable; New Zealand examples are pinkish, broadly but faintly spirally banded with orange, and the periostracum is axially lamellose and flaky, produced into bristle-fringes along the varices.

The shell height is up to 53 mm, and width up to 29 mm.

[edit] References