Pseudorhaphitoma calcata facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Pseudorhaphitoma calcata |
|
|---|---|
 |
|
| Original image of a shell of Pseudorhaphitoma calcata | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Synonyms | |
|
Pseudorhaphitoma calcata is a tiny sea snail. It's a type of mollusk that lives in the ocean, belonging to a group called gastropods. This small creature is part of the Mangeliidae family of snails.
About This Snail
This snail has a very small shell. It's only about 3.6 millimeters long and 1.5 millimeters wide. That's smaller than a grain of rice!
The shell is strong and shaped a bit like an egg, but it also looks like a small tower. It's usually a plain grey color. Scientists have studied shells where the very tip (called the apex) was missing, but they could still see four main turns, or whorls, on the shell.
Shell Features
The shell has interesting patterns, like a special kind of sculpture. It has wavy, slanting folds that stick out at the top of each turn. There are usually five of these folds on each whorl. The whole shell is also covered with many fine, close-together spiral lines.
The opening of the shell, called the aperture, is long and narrow. Near the top of this opening, there's a special groove called the anal sulcus. It's almost like a closed tube and sits on a thick ridge called a varix. The outer edge of the shell's opening, known as the lip, curves inward near the bottom. The siphonal canal, a short tube at the bottom of the shell, is also very small. These unique features, like the tube-like notch and the detailed spiral lines, make this snail's shell quite special.
Where It Lives
This marine snail can be found in the waters around Australia. It lives in the Gulf of Carpentaria and off the coast of Queensland, including near Hope Island.
