Coelotrochus viridis facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Coelotrochus viridis |
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| Shell of Coelotrochus viridis (lectotype at MNHN, Paris) | |
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The Coelotrochus viridis, also known as the green top shell, is a type of sea snail. It is a gastropod mollusk that lives in the ocean. This snail belongs to the family Trochidae, which are often called "top snails" because of their cone shape.
About the Green Top Shell
The shell of the green top snail can be between 15 and 25 millimeters long. That's about the size of a small button or a large pea. It has a strong, cone-shaped shell.
Shell Features
The top part of the shell has cool patterns. It has five rows of rounded, bead-like bumps. Between these bumps, you can see tiny spiral lines. If you look closely with a magnifying glass, you might also see faint diagonal lines.
The bottom of the shell has circular lines. These lines get harder to see as they reach the outer edge. The shell's color is usually dull grey, whitish, or greenish.
- Shape: The shell is cone-shaped.
- Top: It has about seven nearly flat sections, called whorls. The very tip, or apex, is pointy.
- Body Whorl: The largest and last section of the shell is strongly angled.
- Opening: The opening of the shell is somewhat oval or square-shaped. Inside, it looks shiny and pearly.
- Lips: The outer edge of the opening is sharp and smooth. The inner part is wider and shimmers with rainbow colors.
- Center: The center area of the shell's base has three to four spiral ridges. This area also looks pearly. Sometimes, the central hole, called the umbilicus, is narrow and deep. Other times, it's partly filled with a white, hard area.
Animal Appearance
The snail itself is yellowish-brown. Its foot, which it uses to move, can be reddish or purplish-brown. It has three white, thread-like parts on each side. The snail's head has smooth, rounded parts that are joined together. Its eyes are on rather long, white stalks.
Where They Live
This sea snail lives only in the ocean waters around New Zealand. It is an endemic species, meaning it is found nowhere else in the world.
See also
In Spanish: Trochus viridis para niños
