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Taxonomy
Family: Subfamily:
TROCHIDAE: CANTHARIDINAE
Full Classification:
Mollusca (Phylum)
> Gastropoda (Class)
> Vetigastropoda (Subclass)
> Trochida (Order)
> Trochoidea (Superfamily)
> Trochidae (Family)
> Cantharidinae (Subfamily)
> Cantharidus (Genus)
> opalus (Species)
Genus Synonyms:
=Cantharidus (Cantharidus) Montfort, 1810
=Cantharidus (Plumbelenchus) Finlay, 1926
=Cantharidus (Pseudomargarella) Donald & Spencer, 2016
=Micrelenchus (Plumbelenchus) Finlay, 1926
=Trochus (Cantharidus) Montfort, 1810
Synonymised Names:
=Cantharidus (Cantharidus) opalus (Martyn, 1784) accepted, alternate representation
=Cantharidus iris (Gmelin, 1791)
=Cantharidus opalus cannoni Powell, 1933
=Cantharidus opalus var. biangulatus Suter, 1908
=Limax opalus Martyn, 1784
=Trochus acuminatus Perry, 1811
=Trochus iris Gmelin, 1791
Images: Cantharidus opalus (Martyn, 1784)
Found on seaweed below low tide, Doubtless Bay, Northland. 44mm
Washed up around rocks, Mahia Peninsula, East Cape, NZ. 35mm
(cannoni form) - Cape Pattison, Chatham Islands, below low tide. 46mm
(cannoni form) - Found on seaweed below low tide, Chatham Islands. 47mm
Taxonomy
Family: Subfamily:
TROCHIDAE: CANTHARIDINAE
Full Classification:
Mollusca (Phylum)
> Gastropoda (Class)
> Vetigastropoda (Subclass)
> Trochida (Order)
> Trochoidea (Superfamily)
> Trochidae (Family)
> Cantharidinae (Subfamily)
> Cantharidus (Genus)
> opalus (Species)
Genus Synonyms:
=Cantharidus (Cantharidus) Montfort, 1810
=Cantharidus (Plumbelenchus) Finlay, 1926
=Cantharidus (Pseudomargarella) Donald & Spencer, 2016
=Micrelenchus (Plumbelenchus) Finlay, 1926
=Trochus (Cantharidus) Montfort, 1810
Synonymised Names:
=Cantharidus (Cantharidus) opalus (Martyn, 1784) accepted, alternate representation
=Cantharidus iris (Gmelin, 1791)
=Cantharidus opalus cannoni Powell, 1933
=Cantharidus opalus var. biangulatus Suter, 1908
=Limax opalus Martyn, 1784
=Trochus acuminatus Perry, 1811
=Trochus iris Gmelin, 1791
Details: Cantharidus opalus (Martyn, 1784)
Size/Grows to:
Height 53mm, Width 39mm
Distribution:
North, South, Stewart and Chatham Islands. Littoral to moderate depths
Geographical Range:
ACFM
Notes:
Opal Top Shell, Marine, Native - Endemic
Distribution Map
 
References and Publications
  • Mead, K., Carson, K., Raven, J.L., Couper, J., Elliot, M., Elliot, C., Bracegirdle, S. Nov/2021 Notes on NZ Collected Species, Cookia, 33 (p.19)
  • Powell, A.W.B. 1979 New Zealand Mollusca: Marine, Land and Freshwater Shells, Collins, Auckland (p.54)

*98 © Museum of New Zealand Te Papa Tongarewa (CC-BY-NC-ND)

Key to Geographical Ranges
NZ Map showing 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 approximation 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
R =
Recent
Sf =
Subfossil
Fo =
Fossil
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