Monodonta australis

Monodonta australis

Toothed topshell

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SPECIES
Monodonta australis

Monodonta australis, common name the toothed topshell, is a species of sea snail, a marine gastropod mollusk in the family Trochidae, the top snails.

Appearance

The size of the shell varies between 12 mm and 35 mm. The shell is similar to Monodonta labio, but with rounder whorls, more marked sutures and with lower lirae. It is not granulose. It is tessellated with black and grayish or greenish. The penultimate whorl is subangulate by the prominence of its central rib. The columella is much less strongly dentate than in Monodonta labio, and the notch or canal below it shallow. The basal plicae are less developed than in Monodontia labio.

Distribution

Geography

This marine species occurs off South Africa and in the Indian Ocean off Madagascar, Aldabra and the Mascarene Basin; also off Japan.

Habits and Lifestyle

Diet and Nutrition

References

1. Monodonta australis Wikipedia article - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Monodonta_australis

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