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
Kingdom: | Animalia |
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Phylum: | Mollusca |
Class: | Gastropoda |
Subclass: | Caenogastropoda |
Superfamily: | Cerithioidea |
Family: | Dialidae |
Genus: | Diala |
Species: | albugo |
Name Published Year: | 1886 |
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Scientific Name Authorship: | Watson |
Commercial Impact: | None |
Conservation Assessment: | Least Concern |
Cite this page
Western Australian Museum Collections https://museum.wa.gov.au/online-collections/names/diala-albugo
Accessed 15 Aug 2024
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