Bayerotrochus westralis (Whitehead 1987)

Bayerotrochus westralis, commonly known as "Australia's split shell", is a species of sea snail, a marine gastropod mollusk in the family Pleurotomariidae.^[1]

Description

Protoconch of the shell of Bayerotrochus westralis

The shell has a turbinate shape with an apical spire angle of approximately 90 degrees, with inflated body whorls that are proportionate in expansion so that the spire profile is straight, a clearly defined suture, and the periphery is oblique and slightly rounded. The base is highly inflated and lacks a columellar callus at the center of the base area. The aperture is oval, the slit is positioned roughly one third of the way between the upper and lower sutures and is relatively long, about 19 percent of the circumference. The shell is lightly sculptured with very numerous fine spiral cords above and below the selenizone (the area where the shell growth filled in the slit), crossed by very numerous fine axial growth lines. The base has very numerous spiral striae which are crossed by numerous radial growth lines.

The protoconch and primary whorls are white and the main body whorls are a pale buff to white color with an iridescent coppery metallic sheen. Occasionally the teleoconch (body whorls) are overlaid with pale orange or pink axial flammules. The selenizone has no distinct spiral sculpture however it has numerous fine curved growth striae. The base is the same base color as the body, and the interior of the aperture is thinly nacreous (pearly). This species is often found without a periostracum. The operculum is circular, light brown, multispiral, and chitinous. Its size ranges from 44 to 130 mm in diameter.^[2]

Distribution

This species has been typically found on soft muddy bottoms between 250 and 500 meters in a small area off Western Australia south of Broome and northwards to the Ashmore Reefs,^[2] off southern Japan and in the Central Indo-West Pacific.

References

Bayerotrochus westralis is een slakkensoort uit de familie van de Pleurotomariidae.^[1] De wetenschappelijke naam van de soort is voor het eerst geldig gepubliceerd in 1987 door Whitehead.

Bayerotrochus westralis (Whitehead, 1987)

Bayerotrochus westralis (Whitehead, 1987) é uma espécie de molusco gastrópode marinho da família Pleurotomariidae, nativa da região do Indo-Pacífico.^[2]

Descrição

Bayerotrochus westralis possui concha com até 12 centímetros, de superfície reticulada e de coloração creme com áreas em amarelo, laranja ou salmão, apresentando forma de turbante. Interior da abertura, lábio interno e área umbilical, fortemente nacarados.^[2][1][2][3] As espécies do gênero Bayerotrochus são geralmente mais frágeis, arredondadas e menos esculpidas em sua superfície do que os outros três gêneros viventes de Pleurotomariidae.^{[carece de fontes?]}

Distribuição geográfica

Esta espécie é nativa de águas profundas da região do Indo-Pacífico (região que compreende o noroeste da Austrália^[3] ao sul do Japão).^[2]

Referências