Alvania porcupinae
Species of gastropod
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Alvania porcupinae is a species of minute sea snail, a marine gastropod mollusc in the family Rissoidae.[1]
| Alvania porcupinae | |
|---|---|
| |
| Shell of Alvania porcupinae (specimen at the Natural History Museum, Rotterdam) | |
Scientific classification  | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Mollusca |
| Class: | Gastropoda |
| Subclass: | Caenogastropoda |
| Order: | Littorinimorpha |
| Superfamily: | Rissooidea |
| Family: | Rissoidae |
| Genus: | Alvania |
| Species: | A. porcupinae |
| Binomial name | |
| Alvania porcupinae Gofas & Warén, 1982 | |
| Synonyms[1] | |
| |
Description
The small, turreted shell measures 1.8–2.0 mm in length. It is characterized by strong axial ribs (costae) that give a spiny or porcupine-like appearance, reflected in the specific name. The protoconch is paucispiral and smooth. The teleoconch has about 4–5 whorls with prominent axial sculpture and finer spiral elements in some specimens, typical of bathyal Alvania species.[2]
Distribution and habitat
This species is found in the northeastern Atlantic Ocean, ranging from the Bay of Biscay south to off the Canary Islands and West Africa. It has not been recorded in the Mediterranean Sea.[2][3][4]
It inhabits deep-sea benthic environments at depths of 800–4700 m, on continental slope and abyssal plain substrates.[3][5]