Austrodrillia agrestis facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Austrodrillia agrestis |
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| Original image of a shell of Austrodrillia agrestis | |
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Drillia agrestis Verco, 1909 |
Austrodrillia agrestis is a type of small sea snail. It is a marine mollusk that belongs to a group called gastropods. This snail is part of the family known as Horaiclavidae. It was once placed in a different family, the Turridae.
Contents
About the Austrodrillia agrestis Snail
Size and Shape
The shell of the Austrodrillia agrestis snail is quite small. It grows to about 8.5 millimeters (0.33 inches) long. Its widest part, or diameter, is about 3 millimeters (0.12 inches).
The shell is strong and has a rough feel. It has a long, spindle-like shape. The shell is made up of about 7.5 whorls, which are the spiral turns of the shell. The very first part, called the protoconch, has 1.5 smooth, round, and blunt whorls.
Shell Features
The whorls on the top part of the shell, called the spire, are sloped. They are slightly curved inward at the top and outward at the bottom. The line where the whorls meet, called the suture, is clear. It has a narrow, pressed-down edge.
The main body whorl, which is the largest and last turn of the shell, narrows towards its base. The opening of the shell, called the aperture, is shaped like an oval. It narrows a bit at the back. The siphonal canal is a short, open groove at the front of the shell.
The outer edge of the shell's opening, known as the outer lip, is sharp. It rises slightly near the suture. At the back of the opening, there is a deep, narrow curve called the posterior sinus. The inner lip is smooth and not very noticeable.
Shell Patterns and Color
The first two whorls of the shell have close, regular, and strong rib-like patterns. The rest of the shell has rougher ribs on the front two-thirds. These ribs are slanted, rounded, and a bit wider than the spaces between them. They become less clear and more spread out on the main body whorl. They almost disappear at the base of the shell. There are about 14 ribs on the second-to-last whorl.
The shell also has fine, wavy lines that go around it. These lines are deep and spaced out. There are about 8 of these lines on the second-to-last whorl and about 20 on the main body whorl. They are almost equally spaced, sometimes alternating between thin and wide. The shell's color is a light straw yellow all over.
Where It Lives
This marine snail is found only in Australia. It lives off the coast of South Australia.
