Charisma compacta Hedley 1915

Charisma compacta is a species of extremely small sea snail, a marine gastropod mollusk in the family Trochidae, the top snails.^[1]

Description

The height of the shell attains 1.9 mm, its diameter 2 mm. The shell is solid and has a turbinate shape. Its colour is pale cream. The four whorls are rather loosely coiled and separated by channelled sutures. The spire-whorls are smooth. The body whorl is sculptured with about twenty regularly spaced, sharp, spiral grooves. The umbilicus measures about one-eighth of the shell's diameter; its margin is smooth and rounded. The aperture-side of the umbilicus shows an obscure funicle. The circular aperture of the shell is descending. The inner lip is slightly expanded. The outer lip is simple.^[2]

Distribution

This marine species is endemic to Australia and occurs off New South Wales.

References

• Laseron, C. 1954. Revision of the Liotiidae of New South Wales. The Australian Zoologist 12(1): 1-25, figs 1-49a
• Iredale, T. & McMichael, D.F. 1962. A reference list of the marine Mollusca of New South Wales. Memoirs of the Australian Museum 11: 1-109
• Wilson, B. 1993. Australian Marine Shells. Prosobranch Gastropods. Kallaroo, Western Australia : Odyssey Publishing Vol. 1 408 pp