Retusa truncatula

Retusa truncatula
A group of shells of Retusa truncatula
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Mollusca
Class: Gastropoda
(unranked): clade Heterobranchia

clade Euthyneura
clade Euopisthobranchia
clade Cephalaspidea

Superfamily: Philinoidea
Family: Retusidae
Genus: Retusa
Species: R. truncatula
Binomial name
Retusa truncatula
(Bruguière, 1792)
Synonyms[1]

Bulla pellucida Brown, 1827
Bulla retusa Maton & Rackett, 1807
Bulla semisulcata Philippi, 1836
Bulla truncata Adams J., 1800
Bulla truncatula Bruguière, 1792 (original combination)
Cylichna truncatella Locard, 1886
Retusa (Coleophysis) piriformis Nordsieck, 1972
Retusa carinensis de Gregorio, 1889
Retusa piriformis Nordsieck, 1972
Retusa semisulcata (Philippi, 1836)

Retusa truncatula is a species of very small head-shield sea snail or barrel-bubble snail, a marine gastropod mollusk in the family Retusidae[1]

Description

The shell is minute with a flattened spire and longitudinal striations. The colour of the living animal is white. The adult length is usually less than 4mm.[2]

Distribution

This species occurs in South Africa, from False Bay to Durban in shallow estuaries. It is also known from northern Europe, the Mediterranean Sea and the Canary Islands.[2]

Natural history

This small sea snail lives from the intertidal zone to just below the low water mark. It burrows in the mud or sand of tidal marshes, and feeds on foraminiferans.[2]

References

  1. 1.0 1.1 Gofas, S. (2013). Retusa truncatula (Bruguière, 1792). Accessed through: World Register of Marine Species at http://www.marinespecies.org/aphia.php?p=taxdetails&id=141138 on 2014-03-20
  2. 2.0 2.1 2.2 Gosliner, T.M. 1987. Nudibranchs of Southern Africa ISBN 0-930118-13-8

External links

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