Xerarionta kellettii

Xerarionta kellettii
Scientific classification
Domain:	Eukaryota
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Mollusca
Class:	Gastropoda
Order:	Stylommatophora
Family:	Xanthonychidae
Genus:	Xerarionta
Species:	X. kelletii
Binomial name
Xerarionta kelletii (Forbes, 1850)

Xerarionta kelletii, common name the Catalina cactus snail, is a species of air-breathing land snail native to Santa Catalina Island off the coast of southern California. An isolated population is found on the mainland on the Palos Verdes peninsula, but it is unclear if living snails still persist there.

Anatomy

Snails in this species create and use love darts during mating.

The scanning electron microscope images on the left show (above) the lateral view of the love dart, scale bar 500 μm (0.5 mm); and (below) a cross section of the dart, scale bar 50 μm.

References

• Bouchet, P. & Rocroi, J.-P. (2005). "Classification and Nomenclator of Gastropod Families". Malacologia. 47 (1–2): 1–397.

• A little info at