Charisma compacta facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Charisma compacta |
|
|---|---|
 |
|
| Original image of a shell of Charisma compacta | |
| Scientific classification |
Charisma compacta is a super tiny sea snail! It's a type of mollusk that lives in the ocean. These little snails belong to a group called gastropods, and they are part of the family Trochidae, which are often called "top snails" because of their shell shape. This specific snail was first described by a scientist named Hedley in 1915.
What Does It Look Like?
The shell of Charisma compacta is really small. It's only about 1.9 millimeters tall and 2 millimeters wide. That's less than a quarter of a centimeter! The shell is strong and shaped a bit like a spinning top. It's a pale cream color.
This snail's shell has four whorls, which are like the spirals or turns of the shell. These whorls are not tightly wound. They are separated by deep grooves called sutures. The top part of the shell, called the spire, is smooth.
The largest part of the shell, called the body whorl, has about twenty neat, sharp grooves that spiral around it. The shell also has a small hole at its base, called the umbilicus. This hole is about one-eighth the width of the shell. The edge of this hole is smooth and round.
The opening of the shell, called the aperture, is circular and points downwards. The inner edge of this opening is slightly wider. The outer edge is simple and plain.
Where Does It Live?
This tiny sea snail lives only in Australia. You can find it off the coast of New South Wales. When a species lives only in one specific area, it's called endemic to that place.
