Cantharidella balteata facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Cantharidella balteata |
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| Drawing of a shell of Cantharidella balteata | |
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Cantharidella balteata, also known as the tessellated top shell, is a cool type of sea snail. It's a small mollusk that lives in the ocean. This snail belongs to a group called Gastropoda, which includes all snails and slugs. It's part of the Trochidae family, often called "top snails" because of their shell shape.
What Does the Tessellated Top Shell Look Like?
This snail has a small, strong shell. It's about 7 millimeters (less than half an inch) tall. The shell is shaped like a cone. It has six main sections, called whorls, that spiral around.
The top parts of the shell are quite flat. The very last whorl, which is the largest, is as tall as all the other whorls put together. This last part has a slightly angled edge.
Shell Patterns and Colors
Around the bottom edge of the upper whorls, there's a white band. This band has black lines going up and down. This pattern continues around the widest part of the last whorl.
Above this white band, you can see five raised lines that go across the shell. The bottom of the shell has about 12 faint lines. The opening of the shell is called the columella. It's mostly straight and rounded, with a small bump in the middle.
The shell is usually a light brown color. It also has large, dark brown spots below the suture, which is the line where the whorls join. The spiral lines on the shell have tiny black dots. The base of the shell has slanted streaks, which are made from many black dots joining together.
Where Does This Snail Live?
The tessellated top shell lives in the ocean around Australia. It is an endemic species, meaning it is only found in this specific area. You can find it off the coasts of South Australia, Victoria, and Tasmania.
