Wairarapa (gastropod) facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Wairarapa (gastropod) |
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Scientific classification  |
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| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Mollusca |
| Class: | Gastropoda |
| Subclass: | Caenogastropoda |
| Order: | Neogastropoda |
| Superfamily: | Conoidea |
| Family: | Drilliidae |
| Genus: | Wairarapa Vella, 1954 |
| Type species | |
| † Wairarapa rebecca Vella, 1954 |
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| Species | |
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See text |
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The Wairarapa is a group of sea snails. These amazing creatures are a type of gastropod mollusk. They belong to a family of snails called Drilliidae.
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Meet the Wairarapa Snails
These snails are part of a larger group of animals called mollusks. Mollusks include snails, clams, and octopuses. Gastropods are a class of mollusks that usually have a single shell.
Sea snails like the Wairarapa live in the ocean. They are often found on the seafloor. Scientists study their shells to learn about them.
What Makes Them Special?
A scientist named Vella first described the Wairarapa group in 1954. He noticed they looked a bit like another snail group called Splendrillia.
However, Wairarapa snails have some unique features. Their first shell, called a protoconch, looks different. They also have a special fold near the top of their shell. Plus, they have a small notch on the edge of their shell opening. This is called a stromboid notch.
Where Did They Live?
One type of Wairarapa snail, called Wairarapa rebecca, is now extinct. This means it no longer exists on Earth. This snail was endemic to New Zealand. This means it was only found there and nowhere else.
Another species, Wairarapa duplaris, still lives today. You can find this snail off the coast of North Australia. It lives in the waters near Queensland, Australia.
Species of Wairarapa
Here are the known species in the Wairarapa group:
- Wairarapa duplaris (Hedley, 1922)
- † Wairarapa rebecca Vella, 1954
