Cythara paucicostata

Last updated

Cythara paucicostata
Scientific classification Red Pencil Icon.png
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Mollusca
Class: Gastropoda
Clade: Caenogastropoda
Clade: Hypsogastropoda
Clade: Neogastropoda
Superfamily: Conoidea
Family: Mangeliidae
Genus: Cythara
Species:
C. paucicostata
Binomial name
Cythara paucicostata
(Pease, W.H., 1867)
Synonyms
  • Cithara paucicostataPease W.H., 1867 (original combination)
  • Mangilia paucicostataPease, 1867

Cythara paucicostata is a species of sea snail, a marine gastropod mollusk in the family Mangeliidae. [1]

In biology, a species ( ) is the basic unit of classification and a taxonomic rank of an organism, as well as a unit of biodiversity. A species is often defined as the largest group of organisms in which any two individuals of the appropriate sexes or mating types can produce fertile offspring, typically by sexual reproduction. Other ways of defining species include their karyotype, DNA sequence, morphology, behaviour or ecological niche. In addition, paleontologists use the concept of the chronospecies since fossil reproduction cannot be examined. While these definitions may seem adequate, when looked at more closely they represent problematic species concepts. For example, the boundaries between closely related species become unclear with hybridisation, in a species complex of hundreds of similar microspecies, and in a ring species. Also, among organisms that reproduce only asexually, the concept of a reproductive species breaks down, and each clone is potentially a microspecies.

Sea snail common name for snails that normally live in saltwater

Sea snail is a common name for snails that normally live in salt water, in other words marine gastropods. The taxonomic class Gastropoda also includes snails that live in other habitats, such as land snails and freshwater snails. Many species of sea snails are edible and exploited as food sources by humans.

Family is one of the eight major hierarchical taxonomic ranks in Linnaean taxonomy; it is classified between order and genus. A family may be divided into subfamilies, which are intermediate ranks between the ranks of family and genus. The official family names are Latin in origin; however, popular names are often used: for example, walnut trees and hickory trees belong to the family Juglandaceae, but that family is commonly referred to as being the "walnut family".

Contents

This species is considered a nomen dubium.

Description

The length of the shell attains 7 mm, its diameter 3 mm.

(Original description) The wholly white shell has an oblong, ovate shape. The spire is rather short, turreted and acute. The whorls are angulated at the sutures, longitudinally ribbed. There are 7 ribs, very prominent, compressed, running into the sutures. The interstices are concave, finely, regularly and closely striate transversely. The sutures are deep. [2]

Spire (mollusc)

A spire is a part of the coiled shell of molluscs. The spire consists of all of the whorls except for the body whorl. Each spire whorl represents a rotation of 360°. A spire is part of the shell of a snail, a gastropod mollusc, a gastropod shell, and also the whorls of the shell in ammonites, which are fossil shelled cephalopods.

Whorl (mollusc)

A whorl is a single, complete 360° revolution or turn in the spiral growth of a mollusc shell. A spiral configuration of the shell is found in of numerous gastropods, but it is also found in shelled cephalopods including Nautilus, Spirula and the large extinct subclass of cephalopods known as the ammonites.

Distribution

This marine species occurs off Tahiti and Polynesia.

Tahiti island in the Southern Pacific Ocean

Tahiti is the largest island in the Windward group of French Polynesia. The island is located in the archipelago of the Society Islands in the central Southern Pacific Ocean, and is divided into two parts: the bigger, northwestern part, Tahiti Nui, and the smaller, southeastern part, Tahiti Iti. The island was formed from volcanic activity and is high and mountainous with surrounding coral reefs. The population is 189,517 inhabitants, making it the most populous island of French Polynesia and accounting for 68.7% of its total population.

Polynesia subregion of Oceania

Polynesia is a subregion of Oceania, made up of more than 1,000 islands scattered over the central and southern Pacific Ocean. The indigenous people who inhabit the islands of Polynesia are termed Polynesians, and share many similar traits including language family, culture, and beliefs. Historically, they had a strong tradition of sailing and using stars to navigate at night. The largest country in Polynesia is New Zealand.

Related Research Articles

<i>Anarithma stepheni</i> species of mollusc

Anarithma stepheni is a species of sea snail, a marine gastropod mollusk in the family Mitromorphidae.

Propebela rassina is a species of sea snail, a marine gastropod mollusk in the family Conidae, the cone snails and their allies.

<i>Austrodrillia subplicata</i> species of mollusc

Austrodrillia subplicata is a species of sea snail, a marine gastropod mollusk in the family Horaiclavidae.

<i>Haedropleura ima</i> species of Gastropoda

Haedropleura ima is a species of sea snail, a marine gastropod mollusk in the family Horaiclavidae.

<i>Philbertia tokyoensis</i> species of Gastropoda

Philbertia tokyoensis is a species of sea snail, a marine gastropod mollusk in the family Raphitomidae.

<i>Clavus exilis</i> species of mollusc

Clavus exilis is a species of sea snail, a marine gastropod mollusk in the family Drilliidae.

<i>Clavus pusilla</i> species of mollusc

Clavus pusilla is a species of sea snail, a marine gastropod mollusk in the family Drilliidae.

Cinguloterebra anilis is a species of sea snail, a marine gastropod mollusk in the family Terebridae, the auger snails.

Bolma fuscolineata is a species of sea snail, a marine gastropod mollusk in the family Turbinidae, the turban snails.

<i>Otopleura mitralis</i> species of mollusc

Otopleura mitralis, common name the miter pyram, is a species of sea snail, a marine gastropod mollusk in the family Pyramidellidae, the pyrams and their allies.

<i>Calliotrochus marmoreus</i> species of mollusc

Calliotrochus marmoreus is a species of sea snail, a marine gastropod mollusk in the family Trochidae, the top snails.

Solariella diomedea is a species of sea snail, a marine gastropod mollusk in the family Solariellidae.

<i>Leiopyrga lineolaris</i> species of mollusc

Leiopyrga lineolaris, common name the lined kelp shell, is a species of sea snail, a marine gastropod mollusk in the family Trochidae, the top snails.

Cythara caimitica is an extinct species of sea snail, a marine gastropod mollusk in the family Mangeliidae.

<i>Cythara glareosa</i> species of mollusc

Cythara glareosa is a species of sea snail, a marine gastropod mollusk in the family Mangeliidae.

Eucithara decussata is a small sea snail, a marine gastropod mollusk in the family Mangeliidae.

<i>Eucithara abbreviata</i> species of mollusc

Eucithara abbreviata is a small sea snail, a marine gastropod mollusk in the family Mangeliidae.

<i>Mangelia cesta</i> species of mollusc

Mangelia cesta is a species of sea snail, a marine gastropod mollusk in the family Mangeliidae.

Mangelia pomara is a species of sea snail, a marine gastropod mollusk in the family Mangeliidae.

Crassispira fuscocincta is a species of sea snail, a marine gastropod mollusk in the family Pseudomelatomidae.

References

  1. "Cythara paucicostata". Gastropods.com. Retrieved 12 January 2019.
  2. Pease, W. H., 1867. Description of marine gasteropodae inhabiting Polynesia. American Journal of Conchology 3(3):211-222, pl. 15