| Morning star shell | |
|---|---|
 | |
Scientific classification  | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Mollusca |
| Class: | Bivalvia |
| Order: | Venerida |
| Family: | Veneridae |
| Genus: | Tawera |
| Species: | T. spissa |
| Binomial name | |
| Tawera spissa (Deshayes, 1835) | |
| Synonyms | |
List
| |
Tawera spissa, the morning star shell, is a species of marine bivalve from the Veneridae family. [1] T. spissa is endemic to New Zealand. [2]
Tawera spissa is 20-25 mm in length and has a triangular shape with oblong valves. Each valve has rows of ridges. The valves are often white with a variety of brown patterning, but can also be completely white or completely brown in colour. On the internal surface, the valves are white, with brown adductor scars. [2]
Individuals occupy fine to coarse sand and light gravel substrates just below the surface. Their depth range is typically slightly below the low tide mark down to 200m in depth. They tend to be found in areas where there is some water movement. Tawera spissa may be the dominant species in subtidal benthic zones alongside Purpurocardia purpurata in widespread open coastal communities or with Zemysina globus in more sheltered conditions such as bays in southern New Zealand. [2]
Diloma aethiops, whose common names include scorched monodont, spotted black topshell, and in the Māori language pūpū, pūpū-mai, or māihi is a species of small sea snail, a marine gastropod mollusc in the family Trochidae, subfamily Monodontinae.
Siphonodentalium colubridens is a tusk shell or scaphopod in the family Gadilidae of the order Dentaliida.
Ranella olearium, common name the wandering triton or the little frog triton or olive trumpet, is a species of large sea snail, a marine gastropod mollusc in the family Ranellidae, the tritons.
Eudoxochiton nobilis, commonly called the noble chiton, is a large chiton of the family Callochitonidae. The Māori name is Rangitīra.
Chiton glaucus, common name the green chiton or the blue green chiton, is a species of chiton, a marine polyplacophoran mollusk in the family Chitonidae, the typical chitons. It is the most common chiton species in New Zealand. Chiton glaucus is part of a very primitive group of mollusc with evidence of being present in up to 80 million years of the fossil record.
Ischnochiton maorianus, sometimes called the variable chiton, is a fast moving species of chiton in the family Ischnochitonidae, endemic to the main islands of New Zealand where it is abundant.
Diloma coracinum is a species of small sea snail, a marine gastropod mollusc in the family Trochidae, the top snails. The Māori name is māihi.
Tucetona laticostata, or the large dog cockle, is a salt water clam or marine bivalve mollusc in the family Glycymerididae.
Calliostoma tigris, common name the tiger maurea, is a large species of sea snail, a marine gastropod mollusc in the family Calliostomatidae, the Calliostoma top snails.
Cantharidus opalus, common name the opal top shell or in the Māori language matangongore, is a species of large sea snail, a marine gastropod mollusc in the family Trochidae, the top snails.
Berthella ornata is a species of sea slug, a marine gastropod mollusk in the family Pleurobranchidae. It is sometimes called the ornate side-gilled sea slug.
Cominella adspersa, the speckled whelk or kawari in Maori, is a predatory sea snail, a marine gastropod mollusc in the family Cominellidae.
Asperdaphne ula is a species of sea snail, a marine gastropod mollusk in the family Raphitomidae.
Xanthodaphne xanthias is a species of sea snail, a marine gastropod mollusk in the family Raphitomidae.
Coelotrochus tiaratus, whose common names include tiara top shell, brown top shell, mititi, and mitimiti is a species of sea snail, a marine gastropod mollusk in the family Trochidae, the top snails.
Zethalia zelandica, common name the wheel shell, is a species of sea snail, a marine gastropod mollusk, in the family Trochidae, the top snails.
Plaxiphora caelata is a small chiton in the family Mopaliidae, endemic to the main islands of New Zealand, Stewart Island and the Chatham Islands.
Antiguraleus mundus is a species of sea snail, a marine gastropod mollusc in the family Mangeliidae.
Scrinium neozelanicum is a species of sea snail, a marine gastropod mollusk in the family Mitromorphidae.
Tawera is a genus of marine bivalves in the family Veneridae.