Kalpana Kalpana (Editor)

Cantharidus caelatus

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Kingdom
  
Animalia

Clade
  
Vetigastropoda

Family
  
Trochidae

Higher classification
  
Micrelenchus caelatus

Phylum
  
Mollusca

Superfamily
  
Trochoidea

Genus
  
Cantharidus

Rank
  
Subspecies

Scientific name
  
Micrelenchus caelatus caelatus

Cantharidus caelatus is a species of small sea snail, a marine gastropod mollusc in the family Trochidae, the top shells.

Contents

Description

It is smaller than Cantharidus sanguineus (height: 5.5 mm, diameter 4.5 mm) but it is more deeply ribbed and its grooves are wider. The imperforate shell is more deeply ribbed, and the ribs narrower. They number 5 to 7 on the penultimate whorl, 15 to 16 on the body whorl. Sometimes they are obsoletely granose through being crossed by growth lines. The columella shows a slight swelling in the middle.

Distribution

This marine species is endemic to New Zealand and occurs off the Foveaux Straits; Port Pegasus, Stewart Island; Snares and Bounty Islands

Subspecies

The former subspecies have been named:

  • Micrelenchus caelatus archibenthicola Dell, 1956: synonym of Cantharidus caelatus mortenseni Powell, 1933; synonym of Cantharidus mortenseni (Odhner, 1924)
  • Micrelenchus caelatus bakeri Fleming, 1948: synonym of Cantharidus artizona A. Adams, 1853 (Odhner, N.H.J., 1924)
  • Micrelenchus caelatus elongatus (Suter, 1897): synonym of Cantharidus caelatus elongatus (Suter, 1897); synonym of Cantharidus artizona A. Adams, 1853
  • Micrelenchus caelatus morioria Powell, 1933: synonym of Cantharidus caelatus mortenseni Powell, 1933; synonym of Cantharidus mortenseni (Odhner, 1924)
  • Micrelenchus caelatus mortenseni (Odhner, 1924): synonym of Cantharidus mortenseni (Odhner, 1924)

    • References

    Cantharidus caelatus Wikipedia
    (Text) CC BY-SA