Euchelus atratus, common name the blackish margarite, is a species of sea snail, a marine gastropod mollusk in the family Chilodontaidae.[3]
| Euchelus atratus | |
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Scientific classification 
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| Domain: | Eukaryota |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Mollusca |
| Class: | Gastropoda |
| Subclass: | Vetigastropoda |
| Family: | Chilodontaidae |
| Genus: | Euchelus |
| Species: | E. atratus
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| Binomial name | |
| Euchelus atratus | |
| Synonyms | |
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Description
editThe size of the shell varies between 5 mm and 21 mm. The solid, umbilicate shell has a globose-conic shape. Its color is black, brown, or grayish-pink, either unicolored or tessellated with dark spots. The conic spire is short. The sutures are deeply canaliculate. The 5-6 convex whorls are encircled by numerous equal, densely, finely beaded spiral ribs, with deep interstices, in each of which an interstitial riblet arises on the last part of the body whorl. The spiral ribs on the penultimate whorl number 7 to 9. On the body whorl they number 12, exclusive of the interstitial riblets. The convex body whorl is rounded, quite abruptly and decidedly descending at the aperture. The rounded aperture is strongly, finely sulcate inside. The columella is straight, with a small projecting tooth at base. The umbilicus is deep, bounded by a strong white rib, about 1 mm. diameter.
Larger specimens (16–23 mm. alt.) are paler, and have a small riblet developed in each interstice, thus about doubling the number of spirals.[4]
Distribution
editThis species occurs in the Red Sea and in the Indian Ocean off the Mascarene Basin.
References
edit- ^ Gmelin, Syst. Nat. xiii, p. 3601
- ^ H. & A. Adams, Genera, t. 47, f. 6.
- ^ Euchelus atratus (Gmelin, 1791). Retrieved through: World Register of Marine Species on 28 March 2012.
- ^ Tryon (1889), Manual of Conchology XI, Academy of Natural Sciences, Philadelphia
- Drivas, J. & M. Jay (1988). Coquillages de La Réunion et de l'île Maurice
- Higo, S., Callomon, P. & Goto, Y. (1999) Catalogue and Bibliography of the Marine Shell-Bearing Mollusca of Japan. Elle Scientific Publications, Yao, Japan, 749 pp.
- Herbert D.G. (2012) A revision of the Chilodontidae (Gastropoda: Vetigastropoda: Seguenzioidea) of southern Africa and the south-western Indian Ocean. African Invertebrates, 53(2): 381–502
External links
edit
- "Euchelus atratus". Gastropods.com. Retrieved 16 January 2019.