Anacithara leptalea facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Anacithara leptalea |
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| Original image of a shell of Anacithara leptalea | |
| Scientific classification |
Anacithara leptalea is a tiny sea snail that lives in the ocean. It's a type of marine mollusk called a gastropod, which means it belongs to a group of animals that usually have a single shell and move on a muscular "foot." This particular snail is part of the family called Horaiclavidae.
What Does It Look Like?
The shell of Anacithara leptalea is quite small. It's about 3.5 millimeters long, which is less than half a centimeter! Its width is about 1.5 millimeters.
The shell is solid and shaped like a narrow oval. It's a plain white color all over. The shell has six whorls, which are like the turns or spirals you see on a snail shell. The very first two whorls at the top are smooth.
You'll notice strong ridges, called ribs, running down the shell. There are usually nine or ten of these ribs on each spiral turn. Both these ribs and the spaces between them have thin, sharp lines that spiral around the shell. There are about six of these lines on the second-to-last spiral and thirteen on the main body of the shell.
The opening of the shell, called the aperture, is narrow. It's protected by a thick, raised edge known as a varix. At the bottom of the shell, there's a short, open tube called the siphonal canal. The edge of the shell's opening also has a curved notch.
Where Does It Live?
This marine snail is found only in Australia, meaning it's native to that country and doesn't naturally live anywhere else. Specifically, it lives off the coast of Queensland.
