Phenatoma zealandica facts for kids
Phenatoma zealandica, often called the New Zealand turrid, is a type of sea snail. It's a mollusc that lives in the ocean and is known for being a predator. This snail belongs to a group of animals called gastropods and is part of the family called Borsoniidae.
Quick facts for kids Phenatoma zealandica |
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| Abapertural view of a shell of Phenatoma zealandica | |
Scientific classification  |
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| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Mollusca |
| Class: | Gastropoda |
| Subclass: | Caenogastropoda |
| Order: | Neogastropoda |
| Superfamily: | Conoidea |
| Family: | Borsoniidae |
| Genus: | Phenatoma |
| Species: |
P. zealandica
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| Binomial name | |
| Phenatoma zealandica (E. A. Smith, 1877)
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| Synonyms | |
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Contents
What Does the New Zealand Turrid Look Like?
The shell of an adult New Zealand turrid can be between 10 and 23 millimeters long. That's about the size of your fingernail!
Shell Colors and Shape
The shell is usually a flesh-white color. The very top, called the apex, is dark brown and pointy. The shell has about 10 sections, which are called whorls.
The first two whorls are smooth and shiny. The other whorls are a bit rounded and have a ridge at the top. They flatten out as they go down the shell.
Special Features of the Shell
The largest part of the shell is called the body whorl. It's a bit puffed out and gets narrower towards the bottom. This part has about 12 strong grooves that run along its length.
The opening of the shell, known as the aperture, is wide and dark. Inside, there's a brownish, curved central pillar called the columella. The snail also has a short, slightly curved tube called a siphonal canal.
A cool thing about this snail's shell is its "tabulated whorls." This means the whorls have flat, table-like tops. These flat parts have strong lines that go out like rays from the center. Sometimes, there's also a spiral line on them. The body whorl has clear grooves all around it.
There's a special slit in the shell's lip. This slit is located just below a wide groove that runs along the upper part of each whorl.
Where Does the New Zealand Turrid Live?
This sea snail lives only in New Zealand. When an animal or plant is found only in one specific place, it is called endemic to that area.
