Alcyna australis facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Alcyna australis |
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Alcyna australis is a tiny species of sea snail. It is a type of gastropod mollusk that lives in the ocean. This snail belongs to the family Trochidae, which are often called "top snails."
What Does it Look Like?
The shell of the Alcyna australis is very small. It usually measures between 1.8 and 2.5 millimeters. That's less than a tenth of an inch!
The shell has a wide, cone-like shape. It has about 4½ whorls, which are the turns of the shell. These whorls are rounded and grow quickly in size.
Shell Colors
The main part of the adult shell is a dull white color. However, the very first part of the shell, called the protoconch, is a dark purple. The protoconch is the tiny tip of the snail's shell when it first starts to grow.
Shell Patterns
The bottom part of the shell has spiral grooves. These grooves are like faint lines that wrap around the shell. They are also present, but even fainter, on the whorl just before the last one. The dark purple protoconch has stronger spiral grooves.
The opening of the shell, called the aperture, is large and round. Inside this opening, a small, tooth-like bump sticks out from the columella. The columella is the central pillar of the shell.
The different colors and patterns between the tip of the shell (the protoconch) and the rest of the shell help us identify this species.
Where Does it Live?
This marine snail is endemic to Australia. This means it is found only in Australia and nowhere else in the world.
You can find Alcyna australis off the coasts of:
