Ethminolia vitiliginea facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Ethminolia vitiliginea |
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| shells of Ethminolia vitiliginea | |
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Ethminolia vitiliginea, often called the depressed top shell, is a type of sea snail. It is a marine gastropod (a type of snail) and a mollusk (a soft-bodied animal, often with a shell). This snail belongs to the family Trochidae, which are commonly known as top snails.
Contents
What Does Its Shell Look Like?
The shell of an adult depressed top shell is usually between 7 mm and 11 mm long. It is quite flat and has a low, cone-shaped top part, called the spire. The shell is thin and not very shiny. It has a dull whitish color.
Shell Colors and Patterns
The top of the shell has wavy patterns of purplish or olive-brown colors. The bottom part of the shell is also marbled with these same colors.
Shell Features
The very tip of the shell, called the apex, is sharp and tiny. The lines that separate the different turns of the shell, known as sutures, are clearly visible. The shell has about five and a half whorls, which are the spiral turns. These whorls are rounded, but the ones on the spire are slightly angled in the middle. They are also flattened just below the suture, which makes the spire look like it has steps.
The largest and last whorl, called the body whorl, is somewhat cylinder-shaped. It is slightly angled at its widest part and rounded underneath. The entire surface of the shell has delicate, raised spiral lines. Around the umbilicus (a small hole or pit at the base of the shell), these lines crisscross with growth lines.
The opening of the shell, called the aperture, is almost round. Its edges are thin and plain. The umbilicus is about one-quarter the width of the shell's base. It is dull white inside and has lines running lengthwise.
Where Does It Live?
This marine snail lives only in Australia. You can find it in the waters from the Bass Strait all the way to Western Australia.
