Splendrillia candidula facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Splendrillia candidula |
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| Original image of a shell of Splendrillia candidula | |
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Splendrillia candidula is a type of small sea snail. It's a marine gastropod mollusk, which means it's a snail that lives in the ocean. This particular snail belongs to a group called the Drilliidae family.
Contents
About the Splendrillia candidula Shell
The shell of the Splendrillia candidula snail is quite small. It can grow up to 11 millimeters (about 0.4 inches) long. The shell is also very narrow, with a width of about 2.5 millimeters.
Shell Appearance
This snail's shell is solid and has a beautiful, shiny, ice-white color. It's shaped a bit like a cylinder. The shell has seven whorls, which are the turns or spirals that make up the shell. The very first part of the shell, called the protoconch, is a small, smooth dome with two whorls.
Shell Patterns and Features
The only spiral lines you'll find on this shell are four small lines near the tip, which is called the snout. The shell also has broad, low ridges called ribs. These ribs are close together at the top of the shell. As the shell grows, the ribs become more spread out. On the last half of the shell, these ribs almost disappear. They don't line up perfectly from one whorl to the next. Sometimes, the ribs are lightly pressed into the shell, or they might be broken up by a part called the fasciole.
The line where the whorls meet, called the suture, is wavy. The opening of the shell, known as the aperture, is shaped like a spindle. The outer edge of this opening, called the outer lip, is wide and bends inward. It's thicker on its outer edge and has a small curve at the bottom.
Special Openings
The shell has a deep notch called the sinus. This sinus has a slightly raised rim, and its entrance is narrow. On the inner lip of the shell, there's a smooth, thick layer called a callus sheet. This sheet gets thicker at the back corner, forming a small bump or tubercle. The siphonal canal, which is a tube-like extension used for breathing, is just a small notch on this snail's shell.
Where Splendrillia candidula Lives
This sea snail lives only in Australia. It is found off the coast of Queensland, which is a state in northeastern Australia.
