Leptothyra verruca

Leptothyra verruca is a species of sea snail, a marine gastropod mollusc in the family Colloniidae. The shells of this species, known in Ni'ihau as kahelelaniʻilaʻula,[1] are used to make leis.[2]

Leptothyra verruca
Two shells of Leptothyra verruca (museum specimens at Naturalis Biodiversity Center)
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Mollusca
Class: Gastropoda
Subclass: Vetigastropoda
Family: Colloniidae
Genus: Leptothyra
Species:
L. verruca
Binomial name
Leptothyra verruca
Gould, 1845
Synonyms

Leptothyra costata Pease, W.H., 1869

Description

The size of the shell attains 4 mm. The small, solid shell has a short ovate-conic shape. it is imperforate or narrowly umbilicate. It is white with numerous revolving series of red or brown tessellations. The five whorls are spirally lirate. The lira is largest at the middle of the whorl and causes sometimes a slight carina there. The body whorl is slightly but abruptly deflected anteriorly. The circular aperture is white. The white columella is arcuate and wide but not dentate below. The base of the shell has a minute internal denticle. Some specimens are almost entirely red; others are white, with red spots at the periphery. There is some variation in form, also, and in the prominence of the spiral riblets.[3]

Distribution

This marine species occurs in Oceania and Indo-Malaysia.

References
  1. Linda Paik Moriarty, Ni'ihau shell leis, Leland A. Cook, p.19
  2. "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 2010-03-18. Retrieved 2010-03-30.CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  3. G.W. Tryon (1888), Manual of Conchology X; Academy of Natural Sciences, Philadelphia
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