Miralda gemma | |
---|---|
![]() | |
Apertural view of Miralda gemma | |
Scientific classification | |
Kingdom: | Animalia |
Phylum: | Mollusca |
Class: | Gastropoda |
(unranked): | clade Heterobranchia clade Euthyneura clade Panpulmonata |
Superfamily: | Pyramidelloidea |
Family: | Pyramidellidae |
Genus: | Miralda |
Species: | M. gemma |
Binomial name | |
Miralda gemma (A. Adams, 1861) [1] | |
Synonyms | |
|
Miralda gemma is a species of sea snail, a marine gastropod mollusk in the family Pyramidellidae, the pyrams and their allies. [2] [3]
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 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".
The small, white shell grows to a length of 3 mm. It is elongate-conic, slender, slightly umbilicated. The at least two whorls of the protoconch are obliquely about half immersed in the first of the later whorls. The six whorls of the teleoconch are flattened, with strong tabulated and crenulated summits. They are crossed by three strong, rounded, subequally spaced, spiral keels and rounded axial ribs between the sutures. The latter extend from the summit to and over the second keel, but not over the sulcus separating this from the third. The junctions of the axial ribs and the spiral keels form strong tubercles. The sulcus between the second and the third keel is deep, decidedly deeper than the peripheral sulcus, both of which, as well as the sulci of the base, are crossed by minute closely placed, axial raised threads. The base of the body whorl is well rounded, somewhat attenuated. It is marked by live strong, rounded, subequal and subequally spaced spiral keels. The aperture is oval. The posterior angle is acute. The outer lip is wavy. The columella is short, curved and slightly revolute. It is provided with a quite strong oblique fold near its insertion. The parietal wall covered by a moderately thick callus. [4]
The umbilicus of a shell is the axially aligned, hollow cone-shaped space within the whorls of a coiled mollusc shell. The term umbilicus is often used in descriptions of gastropod shells, i.e. it is a feature present on the ventral side of many snail shells, including some species of sea snails, land snails, and freshwater snails.
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.
A protoconch is an embryonic or larval shell which occurs in some classes of molluscs, e.g., the initial chamber of an ammonite or the larval shell of a gastropod. In older texts it is also called "nucleus". The protoconch may sometimes consist of several whorls, but when this is the case, the whorls show no growth lines.
This marine species occurs in the following locations: [2]
Odostomia clathratula is a species of sea snail, a marine gastropod mollusk in the family Pyramidellidae, the pyrams and their allies.
Chrysallida dux is a species of sea snail, a marine gastropod mollusk in the family Pyramidellidae, the pyrams and their allies.
Odostomia excelsa is a species of sea snail, a marine gastropod mollusk in the family Pyramidellidae, the pyrams and their allies.
Odostomia gloriosa is a species of sea snail, a marine gastropod mollusk in the family Pyramidellidae, the pyrams and their allies.
Odostomia heterocincta is a species of sea snail, a marine gastropod mollusk in the family Pyramidellidae, the pyrams and their allies.
Odostomia notabilis is a species of sea snail, a marine gastropod mollusk in the family Pyramidellidae, the pyrams and their allies.
Linopyrga tantilla is a species of sea snail, a marine gastropod mollusk in the family Pyramidellidae, the pyrams and their allies.
Pyrgulina alveata is a species of very small sea snail, a pyramidellid gastropod micromollusk. This genus is currently placed in the subfamily Chrysallidinae of the family Pyramidellidae.
Odostomia amanda is a species of sea snail, a marine gastropod mollusk in the family Pyramidellidae, the pyrams and their allies.
Miralda diadema is a species of sea snail, a marine gastropod mollusk in the family Pyramidellidae, the pyrams and their allies.
Babella caelatior is a species of sea snail, a marine gastropod mollusk in the family Pyramidellidae, the pyrams and their allies. The species is one of twelve in the gastropod genus Babella.
Odostomia taravali is a species of sea snail, a marine gastropod mollusk in the family Pyramidellidae, the pyrams and their allies.
Menestho felix is a species of sea snail, a marine gastropod mollusk in the family Pyramidellidae, the pyrams and their allies.
Oscilla circinata is a species of sea snail, a marine gastropod mollusk in the family Pyramidellidae, the pyrams and their allies.
Odostomia lucca is a species of sea snail, a marine gastropod mollusk in the family Pyramidellidae, the pyrams and their allies.
Odostomia sanctorum is a species of sea snail, a marine gastropod mollusk in the family Pyramidellidae, the pyrams and their allies.
Odostomia orariana is a species of sea snail, a marine gastropod mollusk in the family Pyramidellidae, the pyrams and their allies.
Turbonilla baegerti is a species of sea snail, a marine gastropod mollusk in the family Pyramidellidae, the pyrams and their allies.
Turbonilla doredona is a species of sea snail, a marine gastropod mollusk in the family Pyramidellidae, the pyrams and their allies.
Egilina mariella is a species of sea snail, a marine gastropod mollusk in the family Pyramidellidae, the pyrams and their allies.