Pseudodaphnella retellaria facts for kids
Pseudodaphnella retellaria is a small species of sea snail. It lives in the ocean and is a type of marine gastropod mollusk. This snail belongs to the family Raphitomidae. It was first described by Charles Hedley in 1922.
Quick facts for kids Pseudodaphnella retellaria |
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| Original image of a shell of Pseudodaphnella retellaria | |
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Contents
What Does It Look Like?
The shell of Pseudodaphnella retellaria is quite small. It usually grows to about 6 millimeters long. That's less than a quarter of an inch! The widest part of the shell is about 2.3 millimeters across.
Shell Shape and Color
This snail's shell has a shape like a spearhead. It is also slightly tower-shaped. The shell is thin and a dull white color. It often has a few brown spots on its "shoulder" area. The very tip of the shell, called the apex, is brown.
Shell Features
The shell has 8 whorls, which are the turns or spirals of the shell. The first 3½ whorls are part of the protoconch. This is the tiny, earliest part of the shell that forms when the snail is very young.
The shell has interesting patterns, called sculpture. These patterns are rougher on the older whorls. There are narrow, rib-like lines called radials. These lines stop suddenly at the shell's shoulder. They fade out slowly towards the base of the shell. There are about fourteen of these lines on the main body whorl.
Spiral Patterns
The radials are crossed by thinner lines that spiral around the shell. These spiral lines are smaller. They create long, narrow, net-like patterns. There are about sixteen of these spiral lines on the main body whorl. The opening of the shell, called the aperture, is oval-shaped.
Outer Lip and Siphon
The outer edge of the shell's opening is called the outer lip. It forms a small thickened edge, known as a varix. This varix curves back towards the previous whorl. It creates a C-shaped notch called a sinus. The outer lip also has small tooth-like bumps along its edge. It has tiny bumps inside as well. The siphonal canal is a short, wide tube at the bottom of the shell. This tube helps the snail breathe and filter water.
Where Does It Live?
This marine snail lives only in Australia. It is found off the coast of Queensland.
