Calliostoma ligatum, common name

Common name

A common name of a taxon or organism is a name in general use within a community; it is often contrasted with the scientific name for the same organism...

 the blue topsnail, is a species

Species

In biology, a species is one of the basic units of biological classification and a taxonomic rank. A species is often defined as a group of organisms capable of interbreeding and producing fertile offspring. While in many cases this definition is adequate, more precise or differing measures are...

 of small sea snail

Sea snail

Sea snail is a common name for those snails that normally live in saltwater, marine gastropod molluscs....

 with gill

Gill

A gill is a respiratory organ found in many aquatic organisms that extracts dissolved oxygen from water, afterward excreting carbon dioxide. The gills of some species such as hermit crabs have adapted to allow respiration on land provided they are kept moist...

s and an operculum

Operculum (gastropod)

The operculum, meaning little lid, is a corneous or calcareous anatomical structure which exists in many groups of sea snails and freshwater snails, and also in a few groups of land snails...

, a marine

Marine (ocean)

Marine is an umbrella term. As an adjective it is usually applicable to things relating to the sea or ocean, such as marine biology, marine ecology and marine geology...

 gastropod mollusk in the family Calliostomatidae

Calliostomatidae

Calliostomatidae is a family of sea snails within the superfamily Trochoidea and the clade Vetigastropoda.- Description :The Calliostomatidae are unusually diverse. They are characterized by a stepped spire and a pointy aperture. They may possess or lack an umbilicus. The columella is sometimes...

, the Calliostoma

Calliostoma

Calliostoma is a genus of small to medium-sized sea snails with gills and an operculum, marine gastropod molluscs within the family Calliostomatidae, the calliostoma top snails . Previously this genus was placed within the family Trochidae...

top snails.

Description

The shell has well rounded globose whorls with 6 to 8 smooth spiral cords per whorl and no umbilicus. The shell is relatively heavy for its size, and its length and width are roughly equal. The base color is chocolate brown to mauve with light tan raised cords, and the aperature is pearly white. Length and width up to 24 mm.

External links

• https://scholarsbank.uoregon.edu/xmlui/bitstream/handle/1794/6867/Lane.PDF?sequence=1
• Calliostoma ligatum (Gould, 1849). Wallawalla University