Species Images
Found on seaweed below low tide, Doubtless Bay, Northland. 44mm
cannoni form - Found on seaweed below low tide, Chatham Islands. 47mm
cannoni form - Cape Pattison, Chatham Islands, below low tide. 46mm
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Key to Geographical Ranges
The symbols K.A.C.F.M.An. are used to indicate the geographical range of the species. They have been adopted to give an approxomation of the range of each species within New Zealand.
K=
Kermadec Islands
A=
Aupourian - Kaipara Harbour, north around North Cape, encompassing the Three Kings Islands and south to East Cape
C=
Cookian - Lower North Island and the northern part of the South Island
F=
Forsterian - Otago, Fiordland and Stewart Island
M=
Moriorian - Chatham Islands, Pitt Island
An=
Antipodean - Subantarctic Islands of New Zealand
FW =
Freshwater
L =
Land
N =
North Island
S =
South Island
E =
Endemic
I =
Introduced

Cantharidus opalus (Martyn, 1784)

Classification:Gastropoda - Vetigastropoda
Family:TROCHIDAE: CANTHARIDINAE
Size/Grows to:Height 50mm, Width 38mm
Synonyms:(=Mawhero Marshall, =Micrelenchus Finlay, =Plumbelenchus Finlay)
(=cannoni Powell, 1933)
Distribution:North, South, Stewart and Chatham Islands. Littoral to moderate depths
Geographical Range:ACFME.
Notes:
Opal Top Shell
 
locality map for genus Cantharidus
References and Publications:
  • Powell, A.W.B. 1979: New Zealand Mollusca: Marine, Land and Freshwater Shells, Collins, Auckland (p.54)

Note: Localities are approximate, and represent only some of the known localities for the species.

*2 © Museum of New Zealand Te Papa Tongarewa CC BY-NC-ND