Zeacumantus lutulentus

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Zeacumantus lutulentus
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Mollusca
Class: Gastropoda
Order: Mesogastropoda
Family: Potamididae
Genus: Zeacumantus
Species: Z. lutulentus
Binomial name
Zeacumantus lutulentus
(Kiener,1841)

Zeacumantus lutulentus is a species of medium-sized sea snail or mud snail, a marinegastropod mollusk in the family Potamididae, the horn snails.

Contents

[edit] Distribution

This species is endemic to the North Island and the northern half of the South Island of New Zealand.

[edit] Habitat

This snail is very common in intertidal mudflats.

[edit] Shell description

The shell is of moderate size, with distant strong axial ribs, stopped at the uppermost of two strong spiral ribs, one at the top of the aperture, the other just below it.

Height is up to 29 mm, and width 10 mm.

[edit] Life habits

On the mudflats, these snails plough their way across the surface, leaving recognizable trails. Each snail passes huge quantities of mud through its gut as it extracts organic matter from the mud.

[edit] References