Alvania fenestrata is a species of minute sea snail, a marine gastropod mollusk or micromollusk in the family Rissoidae.[1]

Alvania fenestrata
Shell of Alvania fenestrata (specimen at the Natural History Museum, Rotterdam)
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Mollusca
Class: Gastropoda
Subclass: Caenogastropoda
Order: Littorinimorpha
Superfamily: Rissooidea
Family: Rissoidae
Genus: Alvania
Species:
A. fenestrata
Binomial name
Alvania fenestrata
(Krauss, 1848)
Synonyms
  • Rissoa fenestrata Krauss, 1848 (original combination)
  • Rissoina fenestrata Schwarz, 1910

Description

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The length of the shell attains 4 mm, its diameter 2 mm.

The smooth protoconch consists of three whorls, forming a conical apex. There are three postnatal whorls. The sculpture consists of 16-18 axial riblets that continue across the base. There are two spiral lirae on Ist and 2nd whorls, 3 on 3rd. The intersections are nodulose. The base of the shell contains three spiral lirae. [2]

Distribution

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This species occurs off the coast of KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa.

Fossils were found in Pleistocene strata in the Little Brak River, South Africa.

References

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  • Kilburn, R.N. & Rippey, E. (1982) Sea Shells of Southern Africa. Macmillan South Africa, Johannesburg, xi + 249 pp.
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