Amalda mucronata explained

Amalda mucronata is a species of medium-sized sea snail, a marine gastropod mollusc in the family Ancillariidae.^[1] These snails live in the sandy subtidal near-shore environment where they eat bivalves. Fossil material of this species provides evidence of morphological stasis over 5 million years^{[2] [3]}

Shell description

The shell height is up to 61 mm, and the width is up to 27 mm.

Distribution

This marine species is endemic to and occurs off New Zealand.^[4]

References

• Sowerby G.B. I (1830). Species Conchylirum or concise original descriptions and accompanied by figures of all the species of Recent shells, with their varieties. G.B. Sowerby, London.
• Powell A W B, New Zealand Mollusca, William Collins Publishers Ltd, Auckland, New Zealand 1979
• Glen Pownall, New Zealand Shells and Shellfish, Seven Seas Publishing Pty Ltd, Wellington, New Zealand 1979

External links

• Massey University NZ Fauna Scanned 3D model of Amalda mucronata fossil

Notes and References

1. Gemmell. Michael R.. Trewick. Steven A.. Hills. Simon F. K.. Morgan‐Richards. Mary. 2019. Phylogenetic topology and timing of New Zealand olive shells are consistent with punctuated equilibrium. Journal of Zoological Systematics and Evolutionary Research. en. 58. 1. 209–220. 10.1111/jzs.12342. 0947-5745. free.
2. Michaux. B. 1989. Morphological variation of species through time. Biological Journal of the Linnean Society. 38. 3. 239–255. 10.1111/j.1095-8312.1989.tb01577.x.
3. Gould. Stephen Jay. 1991. Opus 200. Natural History. 100. 8. 12–18.
4. Michaux. B.. 1987. An analysis of allozymic characters of four species of New Zealand Amalda (Gastropoda: Olividae: Ancillinae). New Zealand Journal of Zoology. en. 14. 3. 359–366. 10.1080/03014223.1987.10423006. 0301-4223.