Austrocochlea diminuta

Austrocochlea diminuta is a species of sea snail, a marine gastropod mollusk in the family Trochidae, the top snails.[2][3]

Austrocochlea diminuta
Original drawing of a shell of Austrocochlea diminuta
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Mollusca
Class: Gastropoda
Subclass: Vetigastropoda
Order: Trochida
Superfamily: Trochoidea
Family: Trochidae
Genus: Austrocochlea
Species:
A. diminuta
Binomial name
Austrocochlea diminuta
(Hedley, 1912)[1]
Synonyms
  • Monodonta diminuta Hedley, 1912
  • Thalotia tricingulata A. Adams, 1853

Description

(Original description by Charles Hedley) The height of the shell attains 7 mm, its diameter also 7 mm. The small, solid shell has an ovate-turbinate shape. It is dull and rough. The 5½ whorls are separated by impressed sutures. The colour of the shell is very variable: entire maroon or entire slate or either with broad radiating stripes of buff, or the spiials articulated with buff on a maroon or slate ground, or combinations of these. The nacre of the interior of the aperture is bordered with emerald.

Sculpture: the shell contains elevated spiral ridges, four or five on the upper whorls, about sixteen on the last, andsmaller and closer on the base. Both ridges and interstices are obliquely crossed by fine growth striae. The aperture is subquadrate, brilliantly nacreous with a narrow border. The base of the columella is externally expanded, internally bearing three small tubercles. The throat contains about seven entering ridges which commence at the bevel within the lip. The body whorl has a slight smear of callus.[4]

Distribution

This marine species is endemic to Australia and occurs off Northern Territory, Queensland and Western Australia

References
  1. Hedley, C. 1912. Descriptions of some new or noteworthy shells in the Australian Museum. Records of the Australian Museum 8: 131-160
  2. Bouchet, P. (2012). Austrocochlea diminuta (Hedley, 1912). Accessed through: World Register of Marine Species at http://www.marinespecies.org/aphia.php?p=taxdetails&id=546940 on 2012-11-23
  3. Donald K.M., Kennedy M. & Spencer H.G. (2005) The phylogeny and taxonomy of austral monodontine topshells (Mollusca: Gastropoda: Trochidae), inferred from DNA sequences. Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution 37: 474-483.
  4. Hedley, C. 1912. Descriptions of some new or noteworthy shells in the Australian Museum. Records of the Australian Museum 8: 131-160 (described as Monodonta diminuta)
  • Adams, A. 1853. Contributions towards a monograph of the Trochidae, a family of gastropodous Mollusca. Proceedings of the Zoological Society of London 1851(19): 150-192
  • Hedley, C. 1913. Studies of Australian Mollusca. Part XI. Proceedings of the Linnean Society of New South Wales 38: 258-339
  • Hedley, C. 1918. Narrative of an expedition of exploration in North Western Australia by Herbert Basedow. Special Report. Mollusca. Transactions of the Royal Geographical Society of Australasia, South Australian Branch 18: 263-283
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