Clio scheelei (Munthe, 1888)
Overview
This is a shelled pelagic snail, up to 1.6 cm long, with a transparent uncoiled shell. The shell is slender and triangular. The cross section is oval. The lateral sides are not gutter-shaped and run close to the protoconch. The reddish dark brown visceral mass is seen through the shell. It is a good swimmer that feeds on phytoplankton and protozoa. It lives in the S-Pacific Ocean (Clio scheelei 2).
Taxonomic Description
The shell is not curved. The lateral sides show a narrow, slightly convex margin, resembling that of Clio andreae, they are not excavated, like in Clio recurva (Clio scheelei). The lateral ribs (Clio scheelei lat.rib) run backwards and come extremely close to the embryonic shell. The ventral side of the shell has a broad ventral rib occupying 3/5 of the whole ventral surface. The dorsal side has a broad central and two faint lateral ribs. This species is much more slender in shape than Clio recurva. The rear angle and the divergence of the lateral ribs in Clio scheelei is small. Transverse liration provides the shell with a distinct sculpture. The rounded, Diacria -like embryonic shell is separated from the rest of the shell by a narrow construction.
Shell measurements are: length up to 16 mm, width 7 mm.
Juveniles
The Clio scheelei protoconch is rounded posteriorly and somewhat oval, the surface is smooth. A clear incision is found between the embryonic shell and adult shell, posteriorly it is circular in cross section.
Reproduction
This species is a protandric hermaphrodite.
Ecology
This species is phytophagous and bathypelagic.
Distribution
This species so far is only recorded from the S-Pacific Ocean, see the Clio scheelei map.
Types
Cleodora scheelei Munthe, 1888: 18, figs. 15-19.
Types are not located.
Type locality: off the west coast of Patagonia.