Biology:Pupatonia gracilispira

From HandWiki
Short description: Species of gastropod


Pupatonia gracilispira
Pupatonia gracilispira (Powell, 1933) (AM MA70276).jpg
Holotype of Pupatonia gracilispira from Auckland War Memorial Museum
Scientific classification edit
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Mollusca
Class: Gastropoda
Subclass: Caenogastropoda
Order: Littorinimorpha
Family: Eatoniellidae
Genus: Pupatonia
Species:
P. gracilispira
Binomial name
Pupatonia gracilispira
(Powell, 1933)
Synonyms[1]
  • Estea gracilispira Powell, 1933

Pupatonia gracilispira is a species of marine gastropod mollusc in the family Eatoniellidae.[1] First described by Baden Powell in 1933 as Estea gracilispira, it is endemic to the waters of New Zealand.

Description

Powell described the species as follows:

Shell minute, elongate-oval, semi-transparent, white, polished, thin and fragile. Whorls 4½, including low dome-shaped smooth protoconch, which is not clearly marked off from the post-nuclear whorls. Apart from very faint obliquely retractive growth striae there is no sculpture, the surface of all whorls being smooth and glossy. The suture is false-margined by the base of the preceding whorl showing through. Spire tali, 1½ times height of aperture. Aperture almost circular. Peristome continuous, dilated slightly over the basal and columellar portions and adnate across parietal wall as a distinct connecting callus. In profile the outer lip is straight with the axis of the whorls. There is no true umbilical chink, but there is a slight cavity owing to the overhanging nature of the columellar lip.[2]

Pupatonia gracilispira measures 1.1mm, by 0.525mm.[3] The species is similar in appearance to Pupatonia mimitula, but differs by having a narrower spire, and by having a smooth and polished texture.[4]

Distribution

The species is endemic to New Zealand.[1] The holotype and four paratypes were collected by either Powell himself or by C. A. Fleming in February 1933, from a depth of 18 metres off Owenga Beach in the Chatham Islands.[5] The species has almost exclusively been identified in the Chatham Islands,[6] however has also been identified at Waipapa Point in the south of the South Island,[7] and the Auckland Islands.[8]

References

Wikidata ☰ Q6783458 entry