Clanculus mauritianus
A marine gastropod mollusk in the family Trochidae.
Clanculus mauritianus is a marine gastropod mollusk, a type of sea snail belonging to the Trochidae family, commonly known as top snails. Its shell reaches 9 mm in height and 12 mm in diameter. The shell is a pale brownish-pink, with faint pink spots near the base, and has a depressed conical shape with a narrow umbilicus that features a coarsely crenate margin. It consists of six or seven whorls; the lowest three whorls display three rows of fine spiral granules, followed by additional granules separated by a fine spiral line, with very fine oblique striae in the spaces between. On the body whorl, below the periphery, there are about 13 closely packed spiral rows of granules without any intermediary lines. The aperture is obliquely rounded, and the outer lip is slightly flared, with four or five short spiral ridges just inside the opening. The columella has small folds above and a strong tooth-like plait at the base. This species is found in the Indian Ocean, specifically around Mauritius and Réunion in the Mascarene Basin.
Quick Facts
- Taxon
- Clanculus mauritianus
Facts from the source article.
Lore & Background
The shell of Clanculus mauritianus is depressedly conical and narrowly umbilicate, with the umbilical region coarsely crenate. It has six or seven whorls; the three lowest whorls possess three rows of close spiral fine granules followed by others with a fine spiral line dividing them, the interstices being very finely obliquely striate. On the body whorl, below the periphery, about 13 spiral rows of granules are quite close together with no intermediary lines.
The aperture is obliquely rotund, and the outer lip is a little effuse, with four or five spiral short lirae just within the orifice. The columella is plicatulate above and has a strong toothlike plait at the base. The species is a pale brownish-pink color with obscure pink spotting basally.
This marine species occurs in the Indian Ocean off Mauritius and Réunion in the Mascarene Basin, as documented in the reference work by Drivas and Jay (1987).
Reader's Guide
Clanculus mauritianus is a species of sea snail in the family Trochidae, documented in the reference work 'Coquillages de La Réunion et de l'Île Maurice' by Drivas and Jay (1987). Its significance lies in its detailed shell morphology, which includes a depressedly conical shape, narrow umbilicus with coarse crenations, and a complex pattern of spiral granules and striae. The species is known from the Indian Ocean off Mauritius and Réunion in the Mascarene Basin. The shell's height of 9 mm and diameter of 12 mm, along with its pale brownish-pink coloration and obscure pink basal spotting, contribute to its identification. The aperture is obliquely rotund, with the outer lip featuring four or five spiral short lirae, and the columella has a plicatulate upper part and a strong toothlike plait at the base. These characteristics are key to distinguishing it from related species. The species is listed in the external link on Gastropods.com, indicating its recognition in malacological databases.
Did You Know?
- The shell height of Clanculus mauritianus attains 9 mm and its diameter 12 mm.
- It has six or seven whorls, with the three lowest whorls possessing three rows of close spiral fine granules.
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