Botelloides bassianus facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Botelloides bassianus |
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| Original drawing of a shell of Botelloides bassianus | |
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Botelloides bassianus is a type of sea snail. It's a small gastropod (which means "stomach foot") mollusk that lives in the ocean. This snail belongs to the family Trochidae, also known as the top snails.
There are two main types, or subspecies, of Botelloides bassianus:
- Botelloides bassianus bassianus (first described in 1911)
- Botelloides bassianus borda (first described in 1944)
What it Looks Like
The shell of Botelloides bassianus is quite small. It usually grows to about 4.5 millimeters (which is less than half a centimeter) tall. The widest part of the shell is about 2 millimeters across.
The shell is strong and shaped like a cylinder, but it's a bit rounded at both ends.
Shell Colors
The top part of each spiral section, called a whorl, is a dull white color. The middle part is a dark slate-purple. The very front tip of the shell is dull white again. The dark band on the main body of the shell fades before it reaches the opening. The very tip of the shell, called the apex, is brown.
Shell Details
The shell has five whorls that grow quickly in size. They spiral upwards in a slanted way for about two-thirds of the shell's total length.
The first few whorls are smooth. But the later ones have fine lines that spiral around the shell. The last whorl has about thirty of these lines. The one before that has eighteen, and the one before that has twelve. Sometimes, you can also see faint lines that show how the shell grew over time.
The opening of the shell, called the aperture, is shaped like a pear. The central pillar inside the shell, called the columella, has a slight hollow. The outer edge of the opening, called the lip, has grooves on the inside and a sharp edge.
Differences in Subspecies
The subspecies Botelloides bassianus borda looks a bit different. Its shell is more perfectly cylindrical. Also, the sides of its whorls are flatter compared to the other type.
Where it Lives
This sea snail lives only in Australia. It can be found in the waters off the coasts of New South Wales, South Australia, Tasmania, Victoria, and Western Australia.
