Pseudomelatoma torosa is a species of predatory sea snail, a marine gastropod mollusk in the family Pseudomelatomidae. [1]

Pseudomelatoma torosa
A live individual of Pseudomelatoma torosa with an attached individual of Crepidula adunca on top
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Mollusca
Class: Gastropoda
Subclass: Caenogastropoda
Order: Neogastropoda
Superfamily: Conoidea
Family: Pseudomelatomidae
Genus: Pseudomelatoma
Species:
P. torosa
Binomial name
Pseudomelatoma torosa
(Carpenter, 1864)
Synonyms[1]

Drillia torosa Carpenter, 1864 (original combination)

Subspecies
  • Pseudomelatoma torosa aurantia Carpenter, 1864
A live Pseudomelatoma torosa in situ, the shell encrusted with pink coralline algae

Description

edit

The whorls show an angulated shoulder bearing nodulous terminations of about ten short oblique ribs. There is no spiral sculpture. The color of the shell is burnt-brown, under an olivaceous epidermis. The nodules are whitish. The aperture is brown.

The shell of the subspecies P. t. aurantia is orange-colored, sometimes spirally striate. [2]

Distribution

edit

This marine species occurs off southern California, USA.

References

edit
  1. ^ a b MolluscaBase (2018). Pseudomelatoma torosa (Carpenter, 1864). Accessed through: World Register of Marine Species at: http://www.marinespecies.org/aphia.php?p=taxdetails&id=434771 on 2019-01-14
  2. ^ G.W. Tryon (1884) Manual of Conchology, structural and systematic, with illustrations of the species, vol. VI; Philadelphia, Academy of Natural Sciences   This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the public domain.
  • Carpenter, Journ. de Conchyl., ser. 3, vol. 12, p. 146, April, 1865.
  • Turgeon, D.; Quinn, J.F.; Bogan, A.E.; Coan, E.V.; Hochberg, F.G.; Lyons, W.G.; Mikkelsen, P.M.; Neves, R.J.; Roper, C.F.E.; Rosenberg, G.; Roth, B.; Scheltema, A.; Thompson, F.G.; Vecchione, M.; Williams, J.D. (1998). Common and scientific names of aquatic invertebrates from the United States and Canada: mollusks. 2nd ed. American Fisheries Society Special Publication, 26. American Fisheries Society: Bethesda, MD (USA). ISBN 1-888569-01-8. IX, 526 + cd-rom pp. (look up in IMIS)

page(s): 103

edit