Austrocochlea constellata

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

Austrocochlea constellata
Drawing with three views of a shell of Austrocochlea constellata
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Mollusca
Class: Gastropoda
Subclass: Vetigastropoda
Order: Trochida
Superfamily: Trochoidea
Family: Trochidae
Genus: Austrocochlea
Species:
A. constellata
Binomial name
Austrocochlea constellata
Souverbie, 1863
Synonyms
  • Austrocochlea constellatus (Souverbie, S.M. in Souverbie, S.M. & R.P. Montrouzier, 1863)
  • Diloma constellatum Souverbie, 1863
  • Monodonta constellata (Souverbie, 1863)
  • Trochus constellatus Souverbie, 1863 (original combination)

This is a species inquerenda.

Description

The height of the shell attains 9 mm, its diameter 10 mm. The oblique, imperforate shell has an orbiculate-conic shape and is slightly elevated. The base of the shell is very wide. The shell is longitudinally very obliquely subtly striate, and marked with a few spiral subimpressed lines which are sometimes obsolete, leaving the surface smooth. The color is plumbeous ashen, often with a pink tinge, speckled closely with white dots, and encircled with two dark bands which are articulated with larger spots of white. The sutures are impressed. The five whorls are subconvex, the last forming the greater portion of the shell. They are compressed, obtusely angulated, depressed below the suture. The surface of the base is almost entirely occupied by the parieto-columellar area. The very oblique aperture is pearly and iridescent inside. The thin outer lip acute, and continued on the base in an angle which bounds the columellar area. The thin, white columella is subhorizontal, very wide, subconcave, and bounded by a narrow brown streak outside.

There is considerable variation in the color pattern. Unlike most of the species in this genus, the base is not lined with a white thickened continuation of the columella.[3]

Distribution

This marine species occurs off New Caledonia.

References
  1. Bouchet, P. (2012). Diloma constellata Souverbie, 1863. Accessed through: World Register of Marine Species at http://www.marinespecies.org/aphia.php?p=taxdetails&id=546859 on 2012-11-23
  2. Donald K.M., Kennedy M. & Spencer H.G. (2005) The phylogeny and taxonomy of austral monodontine topshells (Mollusca: Gastropoda: Trochidae), inferred from DNA sequences. Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution 37: 474-483.
  3. Tryon (1889), Manual of Conchology XI, Academy of Natural Sciences, Philadelphia (described as Monodonta constellata)
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