Ficus ficus or the paper fig shell is a species of sea snail, a marine gastropod mollusk in the family Ficidae, the fig shells.[1]
| Ficus ficus | |
|---|---|
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Scientific classification 
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| Domain: | Eukaryota |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Mollusca |
| Class: | Gastropoda |
| Subclass: | Caenogastropoda |
| Order: | Littorinimorpha |
| Family: | Ficidae |
| Genus: | Ficus |
| Species: | F. ficus
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| Binomial name | |
| Ficus ficus | |
| Synonyms[1] | |
Distribution edit
Ficus ficus is found in the Indian Ocean and the West Pacific.
Description edit
Ficus ficus is an unusual shaped thin shell being somewhat pear-shaped with a long narrow aperture and four whorls. The spire is tiny. The shell may reach 5 ins (12 cm) in length. The maximum recorded shell length is 145 mm.[2] There is a trellis-like sculpture of fine striations on the pinkish surface. The inside is orange and there is no operculum. There is a large foot with two curved flaps near the head and a single long siphon.[3]
Habitat edit
The minimum recorded depth for this species is 0 m.; maximum recorded depth is 176 m.[2]
References edit
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Ficus ficus.
- ^ a b Ficus ficus (Linnaeus, C., 1758). WoRMS (2009). Ficus ficus (Linnaeus, C., 1758). Accessed through: World Register of Marine Species at http://www.marinespecies.org/aphia.php?p=taxdetails&id=214982 on 6 June 2010 .
- ^ a b Welch J. J. (2010). "The “Island Rule” and Deep-Sea Gastropods: Re-Examining the Evidence". PLoS ONE 5(1): e8776. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0008776.
- ^ Paper Fig Shell: A Fragile, Shapely Beauty Retrieved 2011-11-29.