Austroturris steira facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Austroturris steira |
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| Original image of a shell of Austroturris steira | |
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Filodrillia steira Hedley, 1922 (original combination) |
Austroturris steira is a fascinating type of sea snail. It's a marine gastropod, which means it's a kind of mollusk that lives in the ocean. This snail belongs to a group called the family Borsoniidae. It was first officially described in 1922 by a scientist named Charles Hedley.
Contents
What Does It Look Like?
The shell of the Austroturris steira is quite small. It usually grows to about 8 millimeters (which is less than half an inch) long. Its widest part is about 3.5 millimeters across.
The shell has a unique shape. It's described as "biconical," meaning it looks like two cones joined at their bases. The shell is solid and has a pale, uniform buff (light yellowish-brown) color.
Shell Features
The shell has seven whorls, which are the spiral turns of the shell. The first two whorls are called the protoconch. These are the very first parts of the shell that formed when the snail was a tiny larva.
There's a special groove called a suture that runs along the shell where the whorls meet. For this snail, the suture is "channelled," meaning it's a bit like a small ditch.
Shell Patterns (Sculpture)
The most noticeable feature on the shell is a strong ridge. This ridge, called a "keel," spirals around all the whorls. It's like a prominent line circling the shell.
- The very top of each whorl has two thin lines or "threads."
- Below the keel, there are about twenty more cords or ridges. These get smaller as they move towards the front end of the shell.
- The shell also has many crescent-shaped (like a crescent moon) threads. These cross a special area called the "fasciole."
- You can also see fine lines that run across the shell's surface. These appear between the spiral ridges at the base.
Shell Opening (Aperture)
The aperture is the opening of the shell where the snail's body comes out.
- The "sinus" is a wide and deep notch on the shell's outer lip.
- The "canal" is a short, open tube-like part at the front of the aperture.
- There's a thin layer of smooth material called "callus" on the upper edge of the opening, near the lip.
Where Does It Live?
This marine snail is found only in Australia. When we say it's "endemic" to Australia, it means it naturally lives nowhere else in the world. Specifically, you can find Austroturris steira off the coast of New South Wales.
See Also
