Pelicaria vermis

Pelicaria vermis
	Dorsal view of a shell of Pelicaria vermis
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Mollusca
Class:	Gastropoda
(unranked):	clade Caenogastropoda; clade Hypsogastropoda; clade Littorinimorpha
Superfamily:	Stromboidea
Family:	Struthiolariidae
Genus:	Pelicaria
Species:	P. vermis
Binomial name
	Pelicaria vermis; (Martyn, 1784)
Synonyms[1]
	Buccinum vermis Martyn, 1784 (basionym); Murex australis Gmelin, 1791; † Pelicaria mangaoparia Vella, 1953; † Pelicaria rotunda Vella, 1953; † Struthiolaria acuminata Marwick, 1924; † Struthiolaria convexa Marwick, 1924; Struthiolaria crenulata Lamarck, 1822; † Struthiolaria fossa Marwick, 1924; Struthiolaria inermis G.B. Sowerby I, 1821; † Struthiolaria media Marwick, 1924; Struthiolaria tricarinata Lesson, 1841; Struthiolaria vermis (Martyn, 1784); Struthiolaria vermis bradleyi Neef, 1970; Struthiolaria vermis flemingi Neef, 1970; Struthiolaria vermis grahami Neef, 1970; Struthiolaria vermis powelli Neef, 1970; Struthiolaria vermis vellai Neef, 1970; Struthiolaria vermis wellmani Neef, 1970;

Pelicaria vermis, known as the small ostrich foot shell or takai in Māori, is a species of sea snail, a marine gastropod mollusc in the family Struthiolariidae.[1] It is the only extant species in the genus.

Distribution & Habitat

This species is endemic to the North Island of New Zealand, where it lives just beneath the surface on tidal flats and off sandy beaches, occasionally to depths of 90m.

Shell of Pelicaria vermis, apertural view

Description

The shell height is up to 54 mm, and width up to 35 mm, colouring usually yellow brown, rarely plain yellow or purple.[2]

References

Bouchet, P. (2011). Pelicaria vermis (Martyn, 1784). Accessed through: World Register of Marine Species at http://www.marinespecies.org/aphia.php?p=taxdetails&id=564560 on 2011-03-11
Andrew Crowe, "Simple Guide to the Identification of New Zealand Sea Shells", Penguin 1999 ISBN 0140285458

Powell A. W. B., New Zealand Mollusca, William Collins Publishers Ltd, Auckland, New Zealand 1979 ISBN 0-00-216906-1
Beu, AG (2010). "Marine Mollusca of isotope stages of the last 2 million years in New Zealand. Part 3. Gastropoda (Vetigastropoda - Littorinimorpha)". Journal of the Royal Society of New Zealand. 40 (3–4): 59–180. doi:10.1080/03036758.2010.500717.

External links

"Struthiolaria (Pelicaria) vermis vermis". Gastropods.com. Retrieved 11 March 2011.

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[WoRMS-1] Bouchet, P. (2011). Pelicaria vermis (Martyn, 1784). Accessed through: World Register of Marine Species at http://www.marinespecies.org/aphia.php?p=taxdetails&id=564560 on 2011-03-11

[2] Andrew Crowe, "Simple Guide to the Identification of New Zealand Sea Shells", Penguin 1999 ISBN 0140285458