Truncatella subcylindrica
Encyclopedia
Truncatella subcylindrica is a species
of small, half-way land snail
and half-way sea snail
, with gill
s and an operculum
, a semi-marine gastropod mollusk or micromollusk
in the family Truncatellidae
.
which is light in color, and which can reach 5 mm in length.
The shell loses its apical whorls
as it grows, giving it a truncated and cylindrical appearance.
and the Mediterranean coast to the Black Sea
. This native distribution includes Great Britain.
There are also some early records from the late 1800s for the United States, on the coast of Newport, Rhode Island
, where it was presumably introduced.
.
Species
In biology, a species is one of the basic units of biological classification and a taxonomic rank. A species is often defined as a group of organisms capable of interbreeding and producing fertile offspring. While in many cases this definition is adequate, more precise or differing measures are...
of small, half-way land snail
Land snail
A land snail is any of the many species of snail that live on land, as opposed to those that live in salt water and fresh water. Land snails are terrestrial gastropod mollusks that have shells, It is not always an easy matter to say which species are terrestrial, because some are more or less...
and half-way sea snail
Sea snail
Sea snail is a common name for those snails that normally live in saltwater, marine gastropod molluscs....
, with gill
Gill
A gill is a respiratory organ found in many aquatic organisms that extracts dissolved oxygen from water, afterward excreting carbon dioxide. The gills of some species such as hermit crabs have adapted to allow respiration on land provided they are kept moist...
s and an operculum
Operculum (gastropod)
The operculum, meaning little lid, is a corneous or calcareous anatomical structure which exists in many groups of sea snails and freshwater snails, and also in a few groups of land snails...
, a semi-marine gastropod mollusk or micromollusk
Micromollusk
A micromollusk is a descriptive term for a shelled mollusk which is extremely small, even at full adult size. The word is usually, but not exclusively, applied to marine mollusks, although in addition, numerous species of land snails and freshwater mollusks also reach adult size at very small...
in the family Truncatellidae
Truncatellidae
Truncatellidae, common name the "looping snails", is a family of small amphibious snails, with gills and an operculum, semi-marine gastropod mollusks or micromollusks.-Shell description :...
.
Description
This species of snail has a shellGastropod shell
The gastropod shell is a shell which is part of the body of a gastropod or snail, one kind of mollusc. The gastropod shell is an external skeleton or exoskeleton, which serves not only for muscle attachment, but also for protection from predators and from mechanical damage...
which is light in color, and which can reach 5 mm in length.
The shell loses its apical whorls
Whorl (mollusc)
A whorl is a single, complete 360° revolution or turn in the spiral growth of a mollusc shell. A spiral configuration of the shell is found in of numerous gastropods, but it is also found in shelled cephalopods including Nautilus, Spirula and the large extinct subclass of cephalopods known as the...
as it grows, giving it a truncated and cylindrical appearance.
Distribution
This snail is native to areas of the northeastern Atlantic coast, from MoroccoMorocco
Morocco , officially the Kingdom of Morocco , is a country located in North Africa. It has a population of more than 32 million and an area of 710,850 km², and also primarily administers the disputed region of the Western Sahara...
and the Mediterranean coast to the Black Sea
Black Sea
The Black Sea is bounded by Europe, Anatolia and the Caucasus and is ultimately connected to the Atlantic Ocean via the Mediterranean and the Aegean seas and various straits. The Bosphorus strait connects it to the Sea of Marmara, and the strait of the Dardanelles connects that sea to the Aegean...
. This native distribution includes Great Britain.
There are also some early records from the late 1800s for the United States, on the coast of Newport, Rhode Island
Newport, Rhode Island
Newport is a city on Aquidneck Island in Newport County, Rhode Island, United States, about south of Providence. Known as a New England summer resort and for the famous Newport Mansions, it is the home of Salve Regina University and Naval Station Newport which houses the United States Naval War...
, where it was presumably introduced.
Habitat
This species is found in marine coastal environments, near or just above the high tide line on stones and pebbles, fine sediments and decomposing vegetation. It prefers the edge of sheltered waters where the salinity is at 18-40 psu.Life cycle
The sexes are separate. Fertilized eggs are laid as egg capsules, which are attached to detritusDetritus
Detritus is a biological term used to describe dead or waste organic material.Detritus may also refer to:* Detritus , a geological term used to describe the particles of rock produced by weathering...
.