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.
External links