Cirsonella naticoides

Cirsonella naticoides
Original drawing of a shell of Cirsonella naticoides
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Mollusca
Class:	Gastropoda
Clade:	Vetigastropoda
Superfamily:	Trochoidea
Family:	Skeneidae
Genus:	Cirsonella
Species:	C. naticoides
Binomial name
Cirsonella naticoides (Hedley, 1907)
Synonyms
Crossea naticoides Hedley, C. 1907 Crosseola naticoides Iredale, T. & McMichael, D.F. 1962

Cirsonella naticoides is a species of very small sea snail, a marine gastropod mollusk or micromollusk in the family Skeneidae.^[1]

Description

(Original description by Charles Hedley) The height of the shell attains 2.35 mm, its diameter 3 mm. This is a small, solid, cream-colored shell with a turbinate shape. The four rounded whorls contain no sculpture. The surface is smooth and polished, in contrast with most species in this genus which are cancellate. The umbilicus is deep and narrow, its margin a faint basal funicle. The aperture is entire circular, double-edged, on its right lower margin the low arched butt-end of the basal funicle, then a broad thick callus tongue. This is probably marking the termination of a second inner funicle, and reaching half-way across the umbilicus. Lastly there is a similar but smaller callus pad laid upon the preceding whorl. The double basal funicle is remarkable. The inner funicle is swallowed by the umbilicus and its presence is only indicated by the callus on the aperture. The outer funicle is unusually faint.^[2]

Distribution

This marine species is endemic to Australia. It occurs off Victoria and in the Bass Strait.

External links

• Australian Faunal Directory: Cirsonella naticoides
• Cotton, B.C. 1959. South Australian Mollusca. Archaeogastropoda. Handbook of the Flora and Fauna of South Australia. Adelaide : South Australian Government Printer 449 pp.
• Iredale, T. & McMichael, D.F. 1962. A reference list of the marine Mollusca of New South Wales. Memoirs of the Australian Museum 11: 1-109

References

1. Marshall, B. (2013). Cirsonella naticoides (Hedley, 1907). Accessed through: World Register of Marine Species at http://www.marinespecies.org/aphia.php?p=taxdetails&id=720341 on 2013-10-14
2. Records of the Australian Museum v. 6 (1905-1907) (described as Crossea naticoides)

• Charles Hedley, The Mollusca of Mast Head Reef, Capricorn Group, Queensland. Part II; Proceedings of the Linnean Society of New South Wales v. 32 (1907)