Crassitoniella carinata
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Crassitoniella carinata | |
|---|---|
.jpg) | |
| Holotype of Crassitoniella carinata from Auckland War Memorial Museum | |
Scientific classification  | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Mollusca |
| Class: | Gastropoda |
| Subclass: | Caenogastropoda |
| Order: | Littorinimorpha |
| Family: | Eatoniellidae |
| Genus: | Crassitoniella |
| Species: | C. carinata |
| Binomial name | |
| Crassitoniella carinata Ponder, 1965 | |
Crassitoniella carinata is a species of marine gastropod mollusc in the family Eatoniellidae.[1] It was first described by Winston Ponder in 1965, and it is the type species for the genus Crassitoniella.[2] It is endemic to the waters of New Zealand.
Crassitoniella carinata has a distinctive orange-red coloured ovate-conical shell, with a wide protoconch. It is solid, with a broadly blunt protoconch and has a distinct peripheral cord. The living animal has white long tentacles, with large eyes.[2][3] The holotype of the species measures 1.91 mm (0.075 in) in height and 1.3 mm (0.051 in) in diameter.[4] The species' shell is similar to the Australian species Crassitoniella flammea, but differs by having a uniform colour and distinct peripheral cord.[2]
Taxonomy
The species was first described by Winston Ponder in 1965, as the type species of Crassitoniella.[2] The holotype was collected from Piwhane / Spirits Bay near Cape Reinga in Northland, New Zealand, in April 1951 by Ken Hipkins. It is held by the Auckland War Memorial Museum.[5][6]
Distribution and habitat
The species is Endemic to New Zealand.[1] The species was first documented on the east coast of the North Island as far south as the Bay of Plenty, in 1995 a specimen was first identified on the west coast of the North Island.[7] Additional specimens have been found in the waters near Manawatāwhi / Three Kings Islands.[8] C. carinata typically lives on algae.[3]