Diacria piccola Bleeker and Van der Spoel, 1988
Overview
This is a small sized, pelagic snail, the smallest one of the trispinosa group, 0.3 cm broad. The shell is uncoiled but bilateral symmetrical with a long, sometimes broken off, caudal spine. The colour pattern is not known as it was described from subrecent material. It is found in the NW-Pacific Ocean (Diacria piccola).
Taxonomic Description
In the known material the colour pattern is absent due to long residence in sediment. In the holotype the caudal spine is broken off below the closing septum. The width of the septum (>15% of shell width) is relatively large compared to other species. The lateral spines are worn off. The dorsal side has three ribs; the central one is especially broad and flattened. The lateral sides, between the closing septum and the lateral spines, are nearly straight and meet at an angle of 66°. The dorsal lip is curved dorsally. The ventral lip is slightly curved ventrally. The two lateral ribs on the ventral side are indistinct.
Shell width is 2.5 mm, shell is length 3.3 mm, length between lateral spines and closing septum is 1.6 mm, distance between lateral spines and closing septum is 2.0 mm, distance between lateral spines and centre of upper lip is 1.8 mm, width of shell aperture is 1.08 mm, height of shell aperture is 0.489 mm.
Juveniles
A special description is not available.
Reproduction
This species is a protandric hermaphrodite.
Ecology
This species is phytophagous
Distribution
This species is so far only found in its type locality in the NW-Pacific, see the Diacria piccola map.
Types
Diacria piccola Bleeker and Van der Spoel, 1988: 60, figs. 2-4.
Holotype: USNM 276782. Paratype: 1 spec. USNM859098.
Type Locality: Albatross Expedition stat. 5236, Philippines, off Magabao Is. E. Mindanao, 8°50'45"N 126°26'52"E. 494 fms, fine gray sand.
Etymology: the name expresses the small size and the small Italian pipe shape.