Cantharidus sanguineus

Cantharidus sanguineus
Drawing of a shell of Cantharidus sanguineus
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Mollusca
Class:	Gastropoda
Clade:	Vetigastropoda
Superfamily:	Trochoidea (superfamily)
Family:	Trochidae
Genus:	Cantharidus
Species:	C. sanguineus
Binomial name
Cantharidus sanguineus (Gray in Dieffenbach, 1843)
Synonyms
Trochus sanguineus Gray, 1843 Trochus (Gibbiun) sanguineus Gray, J.E. in Dieffenbach, 1843 (original description) Cantharidus pupillus Suter, 1913 Cantharidus oliveri Iredale, 1915 Micrelenchus sanguineus (Gray): Suter, 1913 Micrelenchus oliveri (Iredale): Finlay, 1926 Micrelenchus oliver cryptusi (Iredale): Powell, 1946 Plumbelenchus cryptus Powell, A.W.B., 1946

Cantharidus sanguineus is a species of small sea snail, a marine gastropod mollusc in the family Trochidae, the top shells.^[1]

Subspecies

• Cantharidus sanguineus bakeri Fleming, 1948: synonym of Cantharidus artizona A. Adams, 1853
• Cantharidus sanguineus var. elongatus Suter, 1897:synonym of Cantharidus artizona A. Adams, 1853
• Cantharidus sanguineus cryptus (Powell, 1946): synonym of Cantharidus sanguineus (Gray in Dieffenbach, 1843)

Description

The shell grows to a length of 9 mm, its diameter 7 mm. The small, imperforate shell has a conical shape. It is greenish or whitish with bloodred spots. Its sculpture consists of spiral cinguli with very narrow grooves between them, 5 to 6 on the penultimate and 10 to 14 on the body whorl. Sometimes these are slightly moniliform. The base contains about 5 cinguli. The colour of the shell is green, with oblique longitudinal rows of blood-red spots on the cinguli. The first three whorls are sometimes reddish or brownish with radiate white streaks, below the suture very often tessellated with white, brown, and red.

The acute spire is elevated conical,with sides slightly convex. The protoconch is conic with 1½ strongly convex smooth whorls, which are mostly pearly. The six whorls of the spire are flatly convex, the last angled at the periphery. The base of the shell is slightly convex. The sutures are impressed. The oblique aperture is iridescent and lirate within. The outer lip is solid, often strengthened within by a white callosity. The arcuate columella is nearly vertical. The inner lip spreads a little over the umbilical tract, which is impressed and concave. The parietal wall contains a more or less thick callus.^[2]

Distribution

This marine species is endemic to New Zealand and occurs off North, South and Stewart Island

References

1. Rosenberg, G. (2012). Cantharidus sanguineus (Gray, 1843). Accessed through: World Register of Marine Species at http://www.marinespecies.org/aphia.php?p=taxdetails&id=598225 on 2012-12-04
2. Suter H. (1913-1915), Manual of New Zealand Mollusca; Wellington, N. Z. :J. Mackay, govt. printer,1913-1915

• Powell A. W. B., New Zealand Mollusca, William Collins Publishers Ltd, Auckland, New Zealand 1979 ISBN 0-00-216906-1
• Marshall, B.A. 1998: The New Zealand Recent species of Cantharidus Montfort, 1810 and Micrelenchus Finlay, 1926 (Mollusca: Gastropoda: Trochidae). Molluscan Research 19: 107-156
• Spencer, H.G.; Marshall, B.A.; Maxwell, P.A.; Grant-Mackie, J.A.; Stilwell, J.D.; Willan, R.C.; Campbell, H.J.; Crampton, J.S.; Henderson, R.A.; Bradshaw, M.A.; Waterhouse, J.B.; Pojeta, J. Jr (2009). Phylum Mollusca: chitons, clams, tusk shells, snails, squids, and kin, in: Gordon, D.P. (Ed.) (2009). New Zealand inventory of biodiversity: 1. Kingdom Animalia: Radiata, Lophotrochozoa, Deuterostomia. pp. 161–254

External links

• Transactions and Proceedings of the Royal Society of New Zealand 1868-1961, Micrelenchus sanguineus sanguineus
• Gastropods.com: Cantharidus sanguineus