Botelloides chrysalidus facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Botelloides chrysalidus |
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| Original drawing of a shell of Botelloides chrysalidus | |
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Rissoa (Onoba) chrysalida Chapman & Gabriel, 1914 |
Botelloides chrysalidus is a tiny species of sea snail. It is a type of gastropod, which means it is a mollusk that moves on a "stomach-foot." This snail lives in the ocean and belongs to the family Trochidae, often called "top snails" because of their cone-like shell shape.
Some scientists divide Botelloides chrysalidus into two slightly different groups, called subspecies:
- Botelloides chrysalidus chrysalidus
- Botelloides chrysalidus kendricki
What it Looks Like
The shell of Botelloides chrysalidus is quite small. It is about 3.1 millimeters (about 0.12 inches) tall and 1.5 millimeters (about 0.06 inches) wide. The shell is strong and shiny. It has a shape that looks a bit like a pupa, which is an insect in its resting stage before becoming an adult.
The shell has four whorls, which are the turns or spirals of the shell. These whorls are slightly rounded. The very top part of the shell, called the apex, has about two and a half small turns. The lines between the whorls, called sutures, are not very deep. The opening of the shell, known as the aperture, is round and has a thick lip around its edge. Some shells might have faint color bands near the sutures. If you look very closely with a strong magnifying glass, you can see fine lines on the surface that show how the shell grew over time.
Where it Lives
This sea snail lives in the ocean around Australia. You can find it off the coasts of South Australia and Western Australia.
