Awateria retiolata facts for kids

Awateria retiolata was an extinct type of sea snail. It was a gastropod (a kind of snail or slug) and a mollusk (a group of soft-bodied animals, often with shells) that lived in the ocean. It belonged to the family called Borsoniidae.

What It Looked Like

The shell of Awateria retiolata was about 10 millimeters (which is about 0.4 inches) long and 4.5 millimeters (about 0.18 inches) wide. It had a tall, pointed top (called the spire) that was about one and a half times taller than its opening, known as the aperture.

The shell had about four and a half turns or spirals, called whorls. It was small and thin, shaped a bit like a tiny tower (turreted). The very first part of its shell, called the protoconch, was worn down.

The shell had cool patterns, or sculpture. On the spire's whorls, there were vertical ridges called axial ribs. These ribs ran from the shell's shoulder down to the seam, or suture, between the whorls. The spaces between these ribs were about the same width as the ribs themselves.

The spirals of the spire also had four lines wrapping around them, called spiral cords. The top two of these lines were stronger. They crossed over the vertical ribs, creating a net-like pattern on the spire. The shoulder part of the shell was smooth and curved inwards.

The main, largest part of the shell, called the body whorl, only had spiral patterns. The very top spiral line on the shoulder had tiny bumps on the older part of the shell. These bumps were a last hint of the earlier vertical rib patterns. Faint lines from growth covered most of the shell, and they were a bit clearer on the smooth shoulder.

The opening of the shell (the aperture) was somewhat square-shaped. It had a deep groove at the bottom and a slight curve at the top. The central pillar inside the shell, called the columella, was straight up and down, bending slightly to the left at the bottom. The outer edge of the opening was thin, and the inner edge was clearly shaped.

Where It Lived

This marine species is now extinct, meaning it no longer exists. It was endemic to New Zealand, which means it was only found there and nowhere else in the world.