Micropleurotoma melvilli

Micropleurotoma melvilli
	Original image of the shell and protoconch of Micropleurotoma melvilli
Scientific classification
Domain:	Eukaryota
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Mollusca
Class:	Gastropoda
Subclass:	Caenogastropoda
Order:	Neogastropoda
Superfamily:	Conoidea
Family:	Horaiclavidae
Genus:	Micropleurotoma
Species:	M. melvilli
Binomial name
	Micropleurotoma melvilli; Sykes, 1906)
Synonyms
	Pleurotoma nana Thiele, 1925; Spirotropis melvilli Sykes, 1906;

Micropleurotoma melvilli is a species of sea snail, a marine gastropod mollusk in the family Horaiclavidae.^[1]

Description

The length of the shell attains 6 mm, its diameter 2.6 mm.

(Original description) The spire of the small, elongate, shell is well raised, varying a good deal in the relative proportions of length and breadth. The colour is hyaline white. It contains 6 whorls, turreted, carinated, regularly but slowly increasing. The suture is well marked, with a small strap-like rim below it. The protoconch is large, white, smooth and elevated. The remaining whorls are marked by a strong spiral keel, which is either smooth or bears acute nodules lines of growth well marked. The aperture is fairly broad. The columella is twisted at the base.^[2]

Distribution

This species occurs in the demersal zone of the Atlantic Ocean off Portugal at depths between 1340 m and 2000 m.

References

^ ^a ^b Micropleurotoma melvilli (Sykes, 1906). Retrieved through: World Register of Marine Species on 31 March 2010.
^ Sykes E. R. (1906). "On the Mollusca procured during the "Porcupine" Expeditions 1869–1870. Supplemental notes, part 3". Proceedings of the Malacological Society of London 7: 173–190.(described as Spirotropis melvilli)

Gofas, S.; Le Renard, J.; Bouchet, P. (2001). Mollusca. in: Costello, M.J. et al. (eds), European Register of Marine Species: a check-list of the marine species in Europe and a bibliography of guides to their identification. Patrimoines Naturels. 50: 180–213

External links

[WoRMS-1] Micropleurotoma melvilli (Sykes, 1906). Retrieved through: World Register of Marine Species on 31 March 2010.

[2] Sykes E. R. (1906). "On the Mollusca procured during the "Porcupine" Expeditions 1869–1870. Supplemental notes, part 3". Proceedings of the Malacological Society of London 7: 173–190.(described as Spirotropis melvilli)

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