Hinea facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Hinea |
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| An apertural view of a shell of Hinea brasiliana. | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | |
| Phylum: | |
| Class: | |
| (unranked): |
clade Caenogastropoda
clade Sorbeoconcha |
| Superfamily: |
Cerithioidea
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| Family: |
Planaxidae
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| Subfamily: |
Planaxinae
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| Genus: |
Hinea
Gray, 1847
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Hinea is a genus of small sea snails. These amazing creatures live in the ocean and are a type of gastropod mollusc. They belong to a family called Planaxidae. Think of them as tiny, shelled animals that crawl along the seafloor!
Contents
Understanding Genus and Species
What is a Genus?
In science, a genus is like a small group of very similar living things. It helps scientists organize and understand the huge variety of life on Earth. For example, all domestic cats belong to the genus Felis. The genus Hinea includes sea snails that share many common features.
What is a Species?
A species is an even smaller group within a genus. Members of the same species can usually breed with each other and have offspring that can also breed. Hinea brasiliana is one specific type of snail within the Hinea genus. Each species has a unique two-part scientific name, like Hinea brasiliana.
Meet Hinea brasiliana
The most well-known species in the Hinea genus is Hinea brasiliana. This small sea snail was first described by a scientist named Jean-Baptiste de Lamarck in 1822. It is known for its distinctive shell.
Where Do Hinea Snails Live?
Hinea brasiliana snails are found in the waters around Australia and New Zealand. They live in the ocean, often in coastal areas. These snails are part of the amazing underwater ecosystems in these regions.
What Do Sea Snails Do?
Like many other sea snails, Hinea snails likely play a role in their marine environment. They might graze on tiny algae or other small organisms. Their shells also provide protection from predators.
Changing Names: Synonyms
Sometimes, scientists discover that a species has been given more than one name over time. When this happens, the older, correct name is kept, and the other names become synonyms. It's like having different nicknames for the same person.
Here are some names that used to be considered Hinea species but are now known by different names:
- Hinea akuana (Rehder, 1980) is now known as Planaxis akuana.
- Hinea fasciata (Pease, 1868) is now called Angiola fasciata.
- Hinea lineata (E. M. da Costa, 1778), also known as the dwarf planaxis, is now called Angiola lineata.
This process helps scientists keep track of all the different species without confusion.
