Melanopsis trifasciata

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Melanopsis trifasciata
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Mollusca
Class: Gastropoda
Subclass: Orthogastropoda
Infraclass: Apogastropoda
Order: Sorbeoconcha
Suborder: Cerithiimorpha
Superfamily: Cerithioidea
Family: Melanopsidae
Genus: Melanopsis
Species: M. trifasciata
Binomial name
Melanopsis trifasciata
Gray, 1843
Synonyms

Melanopsis zelandica Gould, 1843
Melanopsis strangei Reeve, 1860
Melanopsis trifasciata Suter, 1913

Melanopsis trifasciata is a freshwater snail, a gastropod mollusc in the family Melanopsidae.

Contents

[edit] Distribution

This species is endemic to New Zealand.

[edit] Habitat

Melanopsis trifasciata is a euryhaline species and is found in brackish estuaries and streams as well as freshwater streams, although its occurrence is spasmodic.

[edit] Shell description

The shell is variable in size, solid, smooth except for irregular growth lines and weak malleations. The spire is usually decollated in the fully adult.

Coloration is olive to almost black, the juveniles with one to three spiral bands in dark brown. The inner lip callus is white, tinged with buff to pale orange on the parietal callus. The interior of the aperture is bluish.

The shell height is up to 36 mm, and width up to 21 mm.

[edit] References