Quick Search
To Advanced Search
Taxonomy
Family: Subfamily:
TROCHIDAE: CANTHARIDINAE
Full Classification:
Mollusca (Phylum)
> Gastropoda (Class)
> Vetigastropoda (Subclass)
> Trochida (Order)
> Trochoidea (Superfamily)
> Trochidae (Family)
> Cantharidinae (Subfamily)
> Micrelenchus (Genus)
> purpureus (Species)
Genus Synonyms:
=Cantharidus (Mawhero) B.A. Marshall, 1998
=Mawhero B.A. Marshall, 1998
=Micrelenchus (Mawhero) B.A. Marshall, 1998
=Micrelenchus (Micrelenchus) Finlay, 1926
=Trochus (Gibbium) Gray, 1843 (invalid, junior homonym of Gibbium Scopoli, 1777)
Synonymised Names:
=Cantharidus (Mawhero) purpureus (Gmelin, 1791)
=Cantharidus purpureus (Gmelin, 1791)
=Helix purpurea Gmelin, 1791
=Micrelenchus (Mawhero) purpureus (Gmelin, 1791) accepted, alternate representation
=Phasianella rubella Menke, 1828
=Trochus elegans Gmelin, 1791
=Trochus pallidus Hombron & Jacquinot, 1848
=Trochus rostratus Gmelin, 1791
=Trochus texturatus Gould, 1849
=Trochus torosus Kiener, 1850
Images: Micrelenchus purpureus (Gmelin, 1791)
10 metres scuba off the Aldermen Islands, western Bay of Plenty. 25mm
A common grazer found on seaweed below low tide
Taxonomy
Family: Subfamily:
TROCHIDAE: CANTHARIDINAE
Full Classification:
Mollusca (Phylum)
> Gastropoda (Class)
> Vetigastropoda (Subclass)
> Trochida (Order)
> Trochoidea (Superfamily)
> Trochidae (Family)
> Cantharidinae (Subfamily)
> Micrelenchus (Genus)
> purpureus (Species)
Genus Synonyms:
=Cantharidus (Mawhero) B.A. Marshall, 1998
=Mawhero B.A. Marshall, 1998
=Micrelenchus (Mawhero) B.A. Marshall, 1998
=Micrelenchus (Micrelenchus) Finlay, 1926
=Trochus (Gibbium) Gray, 1843 (invalid, junior homonym of Gibbium Scopoli, 1777)
Synonymised Names:
=Cantharidus (Mawhero) purpureus (Gmelin, 1791)
=Cantharidus purpureus (Gmelin, 1791)
=Helix purpurea Gmelin, 1791
=Micrelenchus (Mawhero) purpureus (Gmelin, 1791) accepted, alternate representation
=Phasianella rubella Menke, 1828
=Trochus elegans Gmelin, 1791
=Trochus pallidus Hombron & Jacquinot, 1848
=Trochus rostratus Gmelin, 1791
=Trochus texturatus Gould, 1849
=Trochus torosus Kiener, 1850
Details: Micrelenchus purpureus (Gmelin, 1791)
Size/Grows to:
Height 35mm, Width 21mm
Distribution:
North and South Island. On seaweed at low tide to about 120 metres
Notes:
Marine, Native - Endemic
Distribution Map
 
References and Publications
  • Donald, K.M., Spencer, H.G. 2016 Phylogeographic patterns in New Zealand and temperate Australian cantharidines (Mollusca: Gastropoda: Trochidae: Cantharidinae): Trans-Tasman divergences are ancient, Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution, 100 (p.341)
  • Marshall, B.A. 1998 The New Zealand Recent species of Cantharidus Montfort, 1810 and Micrelenchus Finlay, 1926 (Mollusca: Gastropoda: Trochidae), Molluscan Research, 19 (p.114)
  • Powell, A.W.B. 1979 New Zealand Mollusca: Marine, Land and Freshwater Shells, Collins, Auckland (p.55)

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

NZ Geographical Regions
Key to symbols used in Checklist.
Fw =
Freshwater
L =
Land
N =
North Island
S =
South Island
R =
Recent
Sf =
Subfossil
Fo =
Fossil
Recently Viewed