Stellatoma mellissi
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Stellatoma mellissi | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Original image of a shell of Stellatoma mellissi | |
Scientific classification  | |
| Domain: | Eukaryota |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Mollusca |
| Class: | Gastropoda |
| Subclass: | Caenogastropoda |
| Order: | Neogastropoda |
| Superfamily: | Conoidea |
| Family: | Mangeliidae |
| Genus: | Stellatoma |
| Species: | S. mellissi |
| Binomial name | |
| Stellatoma mellissi (E. A. Smith, 1890) | |
| Synonyms[1] | |
|
Pleurotoma (Mangilia) mellissi E. A. Smith, 1890 (basionym) | |
Stellatoma mellissi is a species of sea snail, a marine gastropod mollusk in the family Mangeliidae.[1]
The adult shell grows to a length of 5 mm, its diameter 2 mm. The small shell is fusiform-ovate. It has a reddish color and a darker reddish color at the sutures. The body whorl has a red band in the middle. The shell contains 6½ whorls. The 2½ protoconch whorls are convex and smooth. The third whorl is convex and is slightly obliquely lirate. The others have a broad sloping shoulder and a greatly rounded anterior portion. They show about 14 axial ribs. The spiral sculpture consists of 3 cords in the upperwhorls and 16-20 in the body whorl. The aperture is elongate-ovate, measuring about half the total length. The outer lip is marked by transverse striations and is incrassate with a strong denticle close to the posterior sinus. The microscopic structure of this species appears under the microscope to consist of numerous spiral series of very minute grain-like scales, which, at times, are arranged one under the other, so as to produce the appearance of a longitudinal series.[2]
