Thylacodes aotearoicus

Serpulorbis aotearoicus
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Mollusca
Class:	Gastropoda
Subclass:	Orthogastropoda
Superorder:	Caenogastropoda
Order:	Sorbeoconcha
Suborder:	Hypsogastropoda
Family:	Vermetidae
Genus:	Serpulorbis
Species:	S. aotearoicus
Binomial name
Serpulorbis aotearoicus Morton, 1951

Serpulorbis aotearoicus is a species of marine gastropod molluscs in the Vermetidae family, endemic to the north east coast of the North Island of New Zealand.

This species is indistinguishable from Serpulorbis zelandicus in shell characteristics, except for coloration, tending to be darker brown to purplish-brown, but quite distinctive in coloration of the animal, and in the radula, especially the narrow shape of the central tooth. The foot-plug (which takes the place of the operculum) is yellow and black. The predominant colour of the head, proboscis and foot is black, lightened to pinkish-brown further back on the trunk.

References

• Powell A W B, New Zealand Mollusca, William Collins Publishers Ltd, Auckland, New Zealand 1979 ISBN 0-00-216906-1