Microtis tuberculata

Microtis tuberculata
Drawing with two views of the animal and the shell of Microtis tuberculata
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Mollusca
Clade: Vetigastropoda
Superfamily: Trochoidea
Family: Trochidae
Genus: Microtis
Species: M. tuberculata
Binomial name
Microtis tuberculata
A. Adams, 1850
Synonyms[1]
  • Microtis heckeliana (Crosse, 1871)
  • Stomatia planulata Schepman, 1908

Microtis tuberculata is a species of sea snail, a marine gastropod mollusk in the family Trochidae, the top snails.[1][2]

Description

The size of the shell varies between 9 mm and 20 mm. The shell is much depressed, the spire reaches only a trifle above the body whorl. The colour is variable; in both specimens a greenish-grey colour predominates. In the largest one, the top whorls are variegated with crimson and a large patch of the same colour occupies the upper part of the body whorl, near the aperture. The upper part is covered by microscopic spiral rows of darker arrowhead-shaped spots, the basal part is more yellowish. The shell contains about 3½ whorls. The last whorl increases rapidly. They are very convex, with a deep suture, and short subsutural folds. The sculpture consists of a keel at some distance from the suture, enclosing a concave zone, and another keel near the periphery. Between these keels runs a row of elongated, slightly oblique tubercles. mMreover the whole shell is covered with fine spiral striae and still finer growth-striae. The aperture is very oblique, its upper margin concave near the body whorl, then strongly convex.

The animal is large. The upper surface of the foot is granular and tuberculate, with three epipodial cirri, of which the third is placed on the detachable part of the foot. [3]

Distribution

This marine species occurs in the Indo-West Pacific, Oceania, Indo-Malaysia and Australia (Northern Territory, Queensland, Western Australia)

References

  1. 1 2 Bouchet, P. (2012). Microtis tuberculata. Accessed through: World Register of Marine Species at http://www.marinespecies.org/aphia.php?p=taxdetails&id=547310 on 2012-11-23
  2. ↑ Poppe G.T., Tagaro S.P. & Dekker H. (2006) The Seguenziidae, Chilodontidae, Trochidae, Calliostomatidae and Solariellidae of the Philippine Islands. Visaya Supplement 2: 1-228.
  3. ↑ Schepman 1908-1913, The Prosobranchia of the Siboga Expedition; Leyden,E. J. Brill,1908-13 (described as Stomatia planulata)
External identifiers for Microtis tuberculata
Encyclopedia of Life 13884229
WoRMS 547310
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