Trochus tubiferus

Trochus tubiferus
Drawing showing two views of a shell of Trochus tubiferus
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Mollusca
Class: Gastropoda
Clade: Vetigastropoda
Superfamily: Trochoidea
Family: Trochidae
Genus: Trochus
Species: T. tubiferus
Binomial name
Trochus tubiferus
Kiener, 1850 [1]
Synonyms
  • Polydonta squamigera A. Adams, 1851
  • Trochus concinnus Philippi, 1846
  • Trochus maculatus verrucosus Gmelin, J.F., 1791
  • Trochus obesus Reeve
  • Trochus tubifer [sic] (misspelling)

Trochus tubiferus is a species of sea snail, a marine gastropod mollusk in the family Trochidae, the top snails.[2]

Description

The height of the shell attains 35 mm, its diameter 36 mm. The false-unibilicate, solid, thick shell has a conical shape. The spire shows rectilinear or slightly convex outlines. The about 9 whorls are planulate or a little concave. The body whorl is carinated and spinose at the periphery. The color of the shell is above grayish, maculated with purplish brown and faint green. The base of the shell is radiately striped, lineolate or maculate with brown. The upper surface of the whorls is closely granulose, and each whorl bears at its periphery about 17 radiating perforated short spines. The base is slightly convex, with 10 to 12 narrow closely granulose concentric lirae. The aperture is white within. The outer and parietal walls are strongly lirate. The parietal wall has the same color as the base, but overlaid with a white callus. The basal margin is straight, very thick, and dentate. The columella oblique. Its edge is convex, quadri-dentate, and within spirally plicate. The umbilical area is white, funnel-shaped, callous, rather narrow, and obsoletely spirally costate.

The numerous lirae of the base separate this form from Trochus calcaratus Souverbie in Souverbie & Montrouzier, 1875, with which it agrees in the perforated or fistulose spines. These are sometimes subobsolete, and frequently solid on the body whorl. [3]

Distribution

This marine species occurs in the Indian Ocean off Madagascar.

References

  1. Kiener, Spec. gen. Troque, t. 37, f. 3.
  2. Rosenberg, G. (2014). Trochus tubiferus Kiener, 1850. Accessed through: World Register of Marine Species at http://www.marinespecies.org/aphia.php?p=taxdetails&id=765003 on 2014-06-14
  3. H. Pilsbry, Manual of Conchology XI, Academy of Natural Sciences, Philadelphia
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