Zemitrella laevigata is a species of sea snail, a marine gastropod mollusk in the family Columbellidae, the dove snails.[1]

Zemitrella laevigata
Shell of Zemitrella laevigata (holotype)
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Mollusca
Class: Gastropoda
Subclass: Caenogastropoda
Order: Neogastropoda
Superfamily: Buccinoidea
Family: Columbellidae
Genus: Zemitrella
Species:
Z. laevigata
Binomial name
Zemitrella laevigata
(Suter, 1908)
Synonyms[1]

Alcira laevigata Suter, 1908 (original combination)

Subspecies
  • Zemitrella laevigata curvirostris A. W. B. Powell, 1937
  • Zemitrella laevigata laevigata (Suter, 1908)

Description edit

The length of the shell attains 4.1 mm, its diameter 1.8 mm.

(Original description) The small shell is thin, translucent, smooth, faintly shining and elongately oval. The sculpture is confined to a few oblique ridges on the lower part of the base. The colour is yellowish white, sometimes faintly marbled with pure white.

The spire is elevated, conic and about the same height as the aperture. The outlines are almost straight. The protoconch consists of 1½ smooth, porcellanous whorls. The nucleus is a little oblique. The shell contains 5 whorls, regularly increasing and a lightly convex. The body whorl is rounded and contracted at the base. The suture is deep. The aperture is subvertical, high and narrow, lightly channelled above, and with a very short, widely open siphonal canal below. The outer lip is slightly curved, sharp, but little thickened. The columella is vertical, with a deep-seated oblique fold at the base. The inner lip is very narrow and thin, extending over the flattish parietal wall. The operculum is unknown. [2]

Distribution edit

This marine species is endemic to New Zealand and occurs off Northland to East Cape

References edit

  1. ^ a b MolluscaBase eds. (2023). MolluscaBase. Zemitrella laevigata (Suter, 1908). Accessed through: World Register of Marine Species at: https://www.marinespecies.org/aphia.php?p=taxdetails&id=511759 on 2023-11-15
  2. ^ Suter, H. (1908). Descriptions of new species of New Zealand marine shells. Proceedings of the Malacological Society of London. 8: 178-191
  • Powell, A.W.B. 1979 New Zealand Mollusca: Marine, Land and Freshwater Shells, Collins, Auckland

External links edit