Alcyna kingensis
| Alcyna kingensis | |
|---|---|
| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Mollusca |
| Class: | Gastropoda |
| Subclass: | Vetigastropoda |
| Order: | Trochida |
| Superfamily: | Trochoidea |
| Family: | Trochidae |
| Genus: | Alcyna |
| Species: | A. kingensis
|
| Binomial name | |
| Alcyna kingensis (Gabriel, 1956)
| |
| Synonyms | |
|
Cantharidus kingensis Gabriel, C.J. 1956 | |
Alcyna kingensis, common name the King Island kelp shell, is a species of sea snail, a marine gastropod mollusk in the family Trochidae, the top snails.[1] This endemic Australian species reaches approximately 5–7 mm in shell diameter and is characterized by its globose-conical shape with intricate spiral sculpture.[2] Found exclusively in the Bass Strait region, particularly around King Island and northern Tasmania, it inhabits shallow subtidal kelp beds at depths of 2–15 meters. Like other trochids, A. kingensis grazes on microalgae and detritus, playing an important role in coastal ecosystem dynamics.[3] The species was first described by Petterd in 1879 based on specimens collected from King Island's eastern coast.[4]
Description
The size of the shell attains 5–7 mm.
Distribution
This marine species is endemic to Australia and occurs off Tasmania.
References
- ^ Marshall, B. (2013). Alcyna kingensis (Gabriel, 1956). Accessed through: World Register of Marine Species at http://www.marinespecies.org/aphia.php?p=taxdetails&id=720350 on 2014-01-07
- ^ Rosewater, Joseph (March 1973). "Australian Shells. Illustrating and Describing 600 Species of Marine Gastropods from Australian Waters.B. R. Wilson, K. Gillett". The Quarterly Review of Biology. 48 (1, Part 1): 42–43. doi:10.1086/407539. ISSN 0033-5770.
- ^ Wilson, Barry (2008). "Terrestrial gastropods of Faure Island, Shark Bay, Western Australia". Records of the Western Australian Museum, Supplement. 75 (1): 21. doi:10.18195/issn.0313-122x.75.2008.021-024. ISSN 0313-122X.
- ^ "MolluscaBase". www.molluscabase.org. Retrieved 2025-08-04.
- Gabriel, C.J. 1956. Mollusca from southeast of King Island, Bass Strait. Memoirs of the National Museum, Melbourne 22(4): 1-15
- Wilson, B. 1993. Australian Marine Shells. Prosobranch Gastropods. Kallaroo, Western Australia : Odyssey Publishing Vol. 1 408 pp.