Prothalotia suturalis
Prothalotia suturalis is a species of sea snail, a marine gastropod mollusk in the family Trochidae, the top snails.[1]
| Prothalotia suturalis | |
|---|---|
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| Drawing with an apertural view of a shell of Prothalotia suturalis | |
Scientific classification  | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Mollusca |
| Class: | Gastropoda |
| Subclass: | Vetigastropoda |
| Order: | Trochida |
| Superfamily: | Trochoidea |
| Family: | Trochidae |
| Genus: | Prothalotia |
| Species: | P. suturalis |
| Binomial name | |
| Prothalotia suturalis (A. Adams, 1853) | |
| Synonyms | |
| |
Description
The height of the shell attains 8 mm, its diameter also 8 mm. The small, solid, imperforate shell has a pyramidal shape. The apex is eroded, but the whorls apparently number six. They are flattened, slightly gradate, the body whorl descending a little at the aperture. The colour is pale yellow, tessellated with small, longitudinal undulating purple spots. The sculpture: low, flat-topped spiral ribs equal to the intervening spaces, on the body whorl twelve, of which half are basal. The aperture is subquadrate. The columella is short and terminates below in a blunt tubercle. The sutures are impressed. The base of the shell is flat. The inner lip is turned inwards and is greenish.[2][3]
Distribution
This marine species is endemic to Australia and occurs off Northern Queensland and in the Gulf of Carpentaria.[4]
References
- Marshall, B. (2013). Prothalotia suturalis (A. Adams, 1853). Accessed through: World Register of Marine Species at http://www.marinespecies.org/aphia.php?p=taxdetails&id=720365 on 2014-02-20
- Tryon (1889), Manual of Conchology XI, Academy of Natural Sciences, Philadelphia (described as Thalotia suturalis)
- C. Hedley (1908), Studies on Australian Mollusca. Part X; Proceedings of the Linnean Society of New South Wales v.33 (1908) (described as Cantharidus suturalis)
- Wilson, B. 1993. Australian Marine Shells. Prosobranch Gastropods. Kallaroo, Western Australia : Odyssey Publishing Vol. 1 408 pp.
Further reading
- Adams, A. 1853. Contributions towards a monograph of the Trochidae, a family of gastropodous Mollusca. Proceedings of the Zoological Society of London 1851(19): 150–192