Liotella anxia facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Liotella anxia |
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| Original drawing with three views of a shell of Liotella anxia | |
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Liotia anxia Hedley, 1909 |
Liotella anxia is a tiny species of sea snail. It's a type of mollusc that lives in the sea, belonging to a group called gastropods. This little snail is part of the family known as Skeneidae.
What Does It Look Like?
This snail is super small! Its shell is only about 0.7 millimeters (mm) tall and 1.1 mm wide. That's less than the size of a pinhead.
The shell is a pale, yellowish-brown color. It has a shape like a tiny spinning top, which scientists call "turbinate." It also has a wide, deep hole in the center of its base, called an "umbilicus."
Shell Features
The shell has three main whorls, which are like the spirals or turns of the shell. These turns grow quickly, and they are loosely coiled. The very last half-turn of the shell actually drops down a bit and separates from the rest.
The shell's surface has a cool pattern, like tiny lines. These are called "sculpture." You can see fine lines that go from the center outwards, like spokes on a wheel. There are about sixty of these lines on the main part of the shell. Between these lines, there are even finer spiral lines that create a crisscross pattern, like a tiny net.
The opening of the shell, called the aperture, is simple and round. It's not attached to the rest of the shell.
Where Does It Live?
This marine snail lives only in Australia. You can find Liotella anxia off the coast of Queensland. This means it is "endemic" to Australia, so it's not found naturally anywhere else in the world.
