Apaturris expeditionis facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Apaturris expeditionis |
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| Original drawing of the shell of Apaturris expeditionis | |
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Apaturris expeditionis is a type of sea snail. It is a marine gastropod (a kind of snail or slug) and a mollusk (an animal with a soft body, often protected by a shell). This snail belongs to the family Borsoniidae.
About the Shell
This snail has a shell shaped like a spindle, which means it's widest in the middle and tapers at both ends. The opening of the shell, called the aperture, is about the same length as the spiral top, known as the spire.
Shell Features
The shell has about six and a half flattened spirals, or whorls. The lines between these spirals, called sutures, are pressed in. The largest spiral at the bottom, the body whorl, is swollen and tapers smoothly towards the front.
The shell's opening is long and slanted. It bends a bit to the right at the back. The outer edge of this opening is sharp but not thin. There's a deep notch, called a sinus, near the spiral lines, which has a thick edge. The inner edge of the opening is thin and wide. Inside the shell, the central pillar, known as the columella, is flat and has two faint folds near its middle. The canal, which is the front part of the opening, is short, wide, and cut off at the front.
Shell Texture and Color
The very first part of the shell, called the protoconch, is smooth and has about one and a half spirals. The first full spiral of the adult shell has two spiral lines around its edge. The next spirals have more wavy ridges and fine spiral lines covering them. On the main body spiral, there are low wavy ridges near the suture that fade away towards the edge. The whole shell is covered with close, regular spiral lines.
The shell is usually a dark buff (a yellowish-brown) color. It often has a faint purple spiral band on the lower edge of the spire spirals. On the main body spiral, you might see wavy brown marks near the suture.
Size and Habitat
This snail is quite small. It measures about 5.2 millimeters (about 0.2 inches) in height and 2.2 millimeters (about 0.08 inches) in diameter.
The color of the shell can vary from white to buff. Many shells have a few irregular brown marks. Dead shells of Apaturris expeditionis have been found in gravelly areas at depths of 10 to 30 meters (about 33 to 98 feet) off Sunday Island.
Where It Lives
This sea snail is endemic to New Zealand. This means it is found only in that area and nowhere else in the world. It lives off the Kermadec Islands in gravelly seabeds. You can find it at depths between 31 meters and 47 meters (about 102 to 154 feet).
