Olivella nana

Last updated

Sparkling dwarf olive
Scientific classification OOjs UI icon edit-ltr.svg
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Mollusca
Class: Gastropoda
Subclass: Caenogastropoda
Order: Neogastropoda
Family: Olividae
Genus: Olivella
Species:
O. nana
Binomial name
Olivella nana
(Lamarck, 1811) [1]
Synonyms [2]
  • Oliva nana Lamarck, 1811 (basionym)
  • Oliva zenopira Duclos, 1835
  • Olivancillaria nana (Lamarck, 1811)
  • Olivancillaria zenopira (Duclos, 1835) (Duclos, 1835) [3]

Olivella nana, common name the sparkling dwarf olive, is a species of small sea snail, marine gastropod mollusk in the subfamily Olivellinae, in the family Olividae, the olives. Species in the genus Olivella are commonly called dwarf olives. [2]

Contents

The shells of Olivella nana, harvested on Luanda Island, were used as currency called nzimbu in the Kingdom of Kongo, and were even traded north as far as the Kingdom of Benin. [4]

Taxonomy

Oliva nana Lamarck, 1811, described from the coast of Angola, was included in the genus Olivancillaria by Fischer (1887) and later cited by many authors in the same genus (e.g. Dautzenberg 1912, Odhner 1923, Nickles 1950, Klappenbach 1965, Burnay & Conceição 1983, etc.). However, the presence of an operculum excludes it from Olivancillaria. Abbott & Dance (1986) included it in Olivella, which appears to be a more accurate assignation. [2]

Description

The length of the shell varies between 10 mm and 20 mm. The color of the shell is dark, shining horn. There is some variation in the coloration in this species which changes from horn to white in some specimens at the point where the whorls of the protoconch and the teleoconch join. In some other specimens the change is continued on the first or second whorl of the teleoconch.

The apex is small, flattened, smooth and shining. This is the flattest apex in this genus. The apex consists of 11/2 carinated whorls that are rapidly enlarging. The carina appears on the first half of the first whorl and is very strong. The sutures of both the protoconch and the teleoconch are deeply channeled. [5]

Distribution

This species occurs in the Atlantic Ocean from Cape Verdes to West Africa and Angola; in the Indian Ocean off Madagascar.

Related Research Articles

<i>Olivella</i> (gastropod) Genus of gastropods

Olivella, common name the dwarf olives, is a genus of small predatory sea snails, marine gastropod molluscs in the subfamily Olivellinae of the family Olividae, the olives. Olivella is the type genus of the family.

<i>Drilliola loprestiana</i> Species of gastropod

Drilliola loprestiana is a species of sea snail, a marine gastropod mollusk in the family Borsoniidae.

<i>Vexillum semifasciatum</i> Species of gastropod

Vexillum semifasciatum, common name the half-banded mitre, is a species of small sea snail, marine gastropod mollusk in the family Costellariidae, the ribbed miters.

<i>Dermomurex gofasi</i> Species of gastropod

Dermomurex gofasi is a species of sea snail, a marine gastropod mollusk in the family Muricidae, the murex snails or rock snails.

<i>Agaronia acuminata</i> Species of gastropod

Agaronia acuminata, common name the pointed ancilla, is a species of sea snail, a marine gastropod mollusk in the family Olividae, the olive snails.

<i>Oliva flammulata</i> Species of gastropod

Oliva flammulata, common name the flame olive, is a species of sea snail, a marine gastropod mollusk in the family Olividae, the olives.

Olivella millepunctata is a species of small sea snail, marine gastropod mollusk in the subfamily Olivellinae, in the family Olividae, the olives. Species in the genus Olivella are commonly called dwarf olives.

<i>Olivella anazora</i> Species of gastropod

Olivella anazora is a species of small sea snail, marine gastropod mollusk in the subfamily Olivellinae, in the family Olividae, the olives. Species in the genus Olivella are commonly called dwarf olives.

<i>Olivella barbenthos</i> Species of gastropod

Olivella barbenthos is a species of small sea snail, marine gastropod mollusk in the subfamily Olivellinae, in the family Olividae, the olives. Species in the genus Olivella are commonly called dwarf olives.

Olivella bitleri is a species of small sea snail, marine gastropod mollusk in the subfamily Olivellinae, in the family Olividae, the olives. Species in the genus Olivella are commonly called dwarf olives.

Olivella drangai is a species of small sea snail, marine gastropod mollusk in the subfamily Olivellinae, in the family Olividae, the olives. Species in the genus Olivella are commonly called dwarf olives.

<i>Olivella floralia</i> Species of gastropod

Olivella floralia, common name the common rice (dwarf) olive, is a species of small sea snail, marine gastropod mollusk in the subfamily Olivellinae, within the family Olividae, the olives. Species in the genus Olivella are commonly called dwarf olives.

<i>Olivella lactea</i> Species of gastropod

Olivella lactea is a species of small sea snail, marine gastropod mollusk in the subfamily Olivellinae, in the family Olividae, the olives. Species in the genus Olivella are commonly called dwarf olives.

<i>Olivella miliola</i> Species of gastropod

Olivella miliola is a species of small sea snail, marine gastropod mollusk in the subfamily Olivellinae, in the family Olividae, the olives. Species in the genus Olivella are commonly called dwarf olives.

<i>Olivella minuta</i> Species of gastropod

Olivella minuta, common name the minute dwarf olive, is a species of small sea snail, marine gastropod mollusk in the subfamily Olivellinae, in the family Olividae, the olives. Species in the genus Olivella are commonly called dwarf olives.

Olivella rehderi is a species of small sea snail, marine gastropod mollusk in the subfamily Olivellinae, in the family Olividae, the olives. Species in the genus Olivella are commonly called dwarf olives.

<i>Olivella semistriata</i> Species of gastropod

Olivella semistriata is a species of small sea snail, a marine gastropod mollusk in the family Olividae, the olives. Species in the genus Olivella are commonly called dwarf olives With the very similar Olivella columellaris it forms the subgenus Pachyoliva. Both species are suspension feeders. They use unique appendages of the propodium to deploy mucus nets which capture suspended particles from the backwash on sandy beaches of the tropical eastern Pacific. Olivella semistriata is a swash-surfer; the snails use their expanded foot as an underwater sail to follow the tidal movement of the backwash zone in which they feed.

<i>Olivella volutella</i> Species of gastropod

Olivella volutella is a species of small sea snail, marine gastropod mollusk in the subfamily Olivellinae, in the family Olividae, the olives. Species in the genus Olivella are commonly called dwarf olives.

<i>Olivella zonalis</i> Species of gastropod

Olivella zonalis is a species of small sea snail, marine gastropod mollusk in the subfamily Olivellinae, in the family Olividae, the olives. Species in the genus Olivella are commonly called dwarf olives.

<i>Olivancillaria</i> Genus of gastropods

Olivancillaria is a genus of sea snails, marine gastropod mollusks in the subfamily Olivancillariinae of the family Olividae.

References

  1. ↑ Lamarck J.-B. (1811). Détermination des espéces de Mollusques testacés. Ann. Mus. Nat. Paris, vol. 16 page(s): 326, species 57.
  2. 1 2 3 Olivella nana (Lamarck, 1811) . Retrieved through: World Register of Marine Species  on 13 April 2012.
  3. ↑ 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.
  4. ↑ Jan Hogendorn and Marion Johnson, The Shell Money of the Slave Trade (Cambridge University Press, 1986), p. 19.
  5. ↑ Modification of the apex in gastropod mollusks, Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences. v9., 1877; p. 689


This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.