Margarites scintillans
Margarites scintillans is a species of sea snail, a marine gastropod mollusk in the family Margaritidae.[1]
| Margarites scintillans | |
|---|---|
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| Drawing with an apertural view of a shell of Margarites scintillans | |
Scientific classification  | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Mollusca |
| Class: | Gastropoda |
| Subclass: | Vetigastropoda |
| Order: | Trochida |
| Superfamily: | Trochoidea |
| Family: | Turbinidae |
| Genus: | Margarites |
| Species: | M. scintillans |
| Binomial name | |
| Margarites scintillans (Watson, 1879) | |
| Synonyms | |
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Description
The height of the shell attains 5 mm. The small, thin, white shell has a very depressedly conoidal shape. It is angulated, and tumid on the base. It has a small umbilicus. The aperture is semioval. Its sculpture is perfectly smooth but for some curved puckerings which radiate from the umbilicus, but very soon die out. Above the middle the body whorl is roundly angulated. The color of the shell is pure white, with a transparent calcareous layer over brilliant fiery pearly nacre. The spire is very depressedly conical. The apex is bluntly rounded, with a minute hyaline, depressed embryonic tip. The 4 whorls are barely convex. The suture is slightly impressed. The aperture is semi oval. The thin outer lip is barely angulated at the periphery. The inner lip is straight, patulous, and right-angled at its junction with the base.[2]
Distribution
This marine species occurs off Bermuda and Puerto Rico at depths between 713 m and 1966 m.
References
- Rosenberg, G. (2012). Margarites scintillans (Watson, 1879). Accessed through: World Register of Marine Species at http://www.marinespecies.org/aphia.php?p=taxdetails&id=533039 on 2012-09-01
- Tryon (1889), Manual of Conchology XI, Academy of Natural Sciences, Philadelphia (described as Margarita scintillans)
- Watson, R. B. 1879. Mollusca of H.M.S. 'Challenger' Expedition. Part IV. Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society 14: 692-716.