Diala albugo, Rowley Shoals, WA (Photo: Peter Middelfart)

White flecked Diala

Diala albugo

Shell small up to 5mm, usually 3-4mm. Protoconch with 2.2-2.6 whorls; protoconch I about one whorl, smooth; protoconch two with weak growth lines, narrow spiral ridge and minute pustules in upper third of each whorl; colour white to brown or purple, sinusigera character. Teleoconch with up to 8 whorls, first whorls with two rounded spiral ribs. Remainder of spire with fine axial growth lines and weak spiral grooves, especially on last whorl. Base with six to nine spiral ridges. Suture with narrow channel. Aperture pyriform, sharply angled posteriorly, more rounded anteriorly; inner lip thin, narrow, outer lip prosocline. Shell translucent white with red-brown to orange markings.

Morphology

Dialidae are small cerithioideans generally less than 7 mm, while some are upto 145mm long. As oppsoed to small Lithiopidae in the same superfamily, they lack epipodial tentacles. The shells are rather thick, as opposed to lithiopids. The shells may be variably coloured and with spiral and or axial ridges. Most protoconchs have plankthotrophic characters, including a strong sinusigeral notch. The Dialidae was only delineated taxonomically and anatomically in the past 30 years.

Evolution

Dialids are known from the Early Miocene of Eniwatok and Bikini Atolls. Extant taxa are known from Pleistocene and Holocene deposits in Australia.

Method of reproduction

Dialids are gonochoristic and fertilisation is by paraspematozoa carying the euspamatozoa. Egg capsulues are benthic and simple.

Habitat

Marine

The species may be found in sea grass areas, on macroalgae or in coral rubble or sand, in shallow water. Very little is known to date about their ecology.

Distribution

Indo-west Pacific

Life Cycle

Benthic adults, most with free swimming larvae

Taxonomy

Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Mollusca
Class: Gastropoda
Subclass: Caenogastropoda
Superfamily: Cerithioidea
Family: Dialidae
Genus: Diala
Species: albugo
Name Published Year: 1886
Scientific Name Authorship: Watson
Commercial Impact: 

None

Conservation Assessment: Least Concern

Net Conservation Benefits Fund

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Western Australian Museum Collections https://museum.wa.gov.au/online-collections/names/diala-albugo
Accessed 11 Sep 2023

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