Olivella petiolita

Olivella petiolita is a species of small sea snail, marine gastropod mollusk in the family Olivellidae, commonly known as the dwarf olives.[2]

Olivella petiolita
Scientific classification
Kingdom:
Animalia
Phylum:
Mollusca
Class:
Gastropoda
(unranked):
clade Caenogastropoda
clade Hypsogastropoda
clade Neogastropoda
Superfamily:
Olivoidea
Family:
Olivellidae
Genus:
Olivella
Species:
O. petiolita
Binomial name
Olivella petiolita
(Duclos, 1835)[1]

Description

The "Olivella petiolita" is a species of mollusk that has a small, oblong shell which comes to a conical point on the front end, this is similar to other marine snail shells. They have brown patterning on the middle section of their shells that can range from a chevron patterning to a random dispersement of lines and blotches to many more varieties.[3] Their common size is 13mm, though they can naturally grow larger than these.[4][5]

Distribution

The Olivella petiolita can be found in widely distributed, over the seas of the Western Hemisphere. They live in the tropical waters of the Caribbean Sea and can be found off the coasts of Colombia, San Andres, Jamaica, Mexico, Panama, and Puerto Rico, but these shells have been found as far south as Argentina, so it is likely that they live wherever the waters are warm enough.[6]

References
  1. Duclos, P.L. (1840) Histoire Naturelle Génerale et Particuliere de Tous les Genres de Coquilles Univalves Marines a l’état Vivant et Fossile, Publiée par Monographies, Genre Columbella. Didot, Paris, 1 p., 13 pls.. World Register of Marine Species, Retrieved 28 April 2010.
  2. Olivella petiolita (Duclos, 1835). Retrieved through: World Register of Marine Species on 28 April 2010.
  3. http://www.gastropods.com/Taxon_pages/TN_Family_OLIVELLIDAE.shtml
  4. http://www.marinespecies.org/photogallery.php?album=3467&pic=69612
  5. http://www.jaxshells.org/ovel.htm
  6. http://www.marinespecies.org/aphia.php?p=taxdetails&id=448236


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