Charisma compacta

Lore & Background

The shell of Charisma compacta attains a height of 1.9 mm and a diameter of 2 mm. It is solid, turbinate in shape, and pale cream in color. The four whorls are rather loosely coiled and separated by channelled sutures. The spire-whorls are smooth, while the body whorl is sculptured with about twenty regularly spaced, sharp, spiral grooves. The umbilicus measures about one-eighth of the shell's diameter; its margin is smooth and rounded. The aperture-side of the umbilicus shows an obscure funicle. The circular aperture of the shell is descending, with the inner lip slightly expanded and the outer lip simple.

Reader's Guide

Charisma compacta is documented in the scientific literature through works such as Laseron's 1954 revision of the Liotiidae of New South Wales, Iredale and McMichael's 1962 reference list of marine Mollusca of New South Wales, and Wilson's 1993 volume on Australian Marine Shells. Its significance lies in its representation of the diverse trochid fauna of the region, particularly as an extremely small species endemic to New South Wales. The species is listed in the World Register of Marine Species and on Gastropods.com, indicating its recognition within malacological databases. Its legacy is tied to the taxonomic and biogeographic understanding of Australian marine gastropods, contributing to the broader knowledge of shell morphology and distribution patterns in the family Trochidae.

Did You Know?

• The shell height of Charisma compacta attains 1.9 mm.
• Its shell is pale cream with four whorls separated by channelled sutures.
• The body whorl has about twenty regularly spaced, sharp, spiral grooves.
• This species is endemic to Australia and occurs off New South Wales.