Assiminea grayana, common name the "dun sentinel", is a species of very small (4–6 mm.) salt marsh snail, a terrestrial (or marine gastropod mollusk in the family Assimineidae.
| Assiminea grayana | |
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Scientific classification 
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| Domain: | Eukaryota |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Mollusca |
| Class: | Gastropoda |
| Subclass: | Caenogastropoda |
| Order: | Littorinimorpha |
| Family: | Assimineidae |
| Genus: | Assiminea |
| Species: | A. grayana
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| Binomial name | |
| Assiminea grayana Fleming, 1828
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Habitat edit
This species lives in habitats that are intermediate between land and saltwater: in estuaries and salt marshes, at, or right above, the high tide level.[1]
Description edit
The 5 mm high x 3 mm. wide shell is semi-transparent and conical, with six or seven flat-sided or slightly swollen whorls and a sharp apex. It bears fine irregular growth lines and faint spiral lines but appears smooth . The oval or ear-shaped aperture is small and has a thickened peristome. The inner lip is reflexed over the base of the last whorl. There is no umbilicus. The colour is horn or tan, often with a broad reddish band on the last whorl.
Distribution edit
This small snail lives in Western Europe, primarily on the southern part of the North Sea coasts, in countries and islands including:
Reproduction edit
This species reproduces sexually. The male has a penis in the middle, or at least close to the middle, of his head. The female has a series of translucent glands the lead to a seminal receptacle, where an egg waits for the semen.[2]
References edit
- ^ Kerney, Michael, 1999, Atlas of the land and freshwater molluscs of Britain and Ireland, Harley Books, Colchester, England, ISBN 0-946589-48-8.
- ^ Hallan, Anders, et al. “Two New Species of OvassimineaThiele, 1927 (Truncatelloidea: Assimineidae) from Tropical Australia.” Molluscan Research, vol. 35, no. 4, 2015, pp. 262–274., doi:10.1080/13235818.2015.1053171.
External links edit
- Assiminea grayana at Animalbase
- Assiminea grayana Species account and photograph at Mollusc Ireland.
Media related to Assiminea grayana at Wikimedia Commons
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