Calthalotia mundula facts for kids

Calthalotia mundula is a type of small sea snail. It lives in the ocean and belongs to a group of snails called gastropods, which are a kind of mollusk. This snail is part of the family Trochidae, often called "top snails" because of their shell shape.

About the Shell

The shell of the Calthalotia mundula snail can grow up to 20 millimeters (about 0.8 inches) tall. Its shell looks like a tall cone and is mostly whitish. It might have faint purple, flame-like patterns running down its sides.

The shell has whorls, which are the spiral turns of the shell. These whorls are usually flat in the middle. Near the lines where the whorls join (called sutures), there's a noticeable rounded ridge. This ridge has small lines across it, which are equal and slightly bumpy.

The bottom part of the shell has circular lines and tiny radiating scratches in between them. The opening of the shell, called the aperture, is somewhat square-shaped. The edge of the opening, known as the lip, is curved and has a blunt tooth at the front. The inside of the lip has faint grooves.

Where It Lives

This sea snail lives only in the ocean waters near Australia. You can find it specifically off the coast of Western Australia. This means it is endemic (found nowhere else in the world naturally) to that area.

• Wilson B. (1993) Australian marine shells. Prosobranch gastropods. Vol. 1. Odyssey Publishing, Kallaroo, Western Australia, 408 pp