Pelicaria vermis facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Pelicaria vermis
Dorsal view of a shell of Pelicaria vermis
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Mollusca
Class:	Gastropoda
(unranked):	clade Caenogastropoda clade Hypsogastropoda clade Littorinimorpha
Superfamily:	Stromboidea
Family:	Struthiolariidae
Genus:	Pelicaria
Species:	P. vermis
Binomial name
Pelicaria vermis (Martyn, 1784)
Synonyms
Buccinum vermis Martyn, 1784 (basionym) Murex australis Gmelin, 1791 † Pelicaria mangaoparia Vella, 1953 † Pelicaria rotunda Vella, 1953 † Struthiolaria acuminata Marwick, 1924 † Struthiolaria convexa Marwick, 1924 Struthiolaria crenulata Lamarck, 1822 † Struthiolaria fossa Marwick, 1924 Struthiolaria inermis G.B. Sowerby I, 1821 † Struthiolaria media Marwick, 1924 Struthiolaria tricarinata Lesson, 1841 Struthiolaria vermis (Martyn, 1784) Struthiolaria vermis bradleyi Neef, 1970 Struthiolaria vermis flemingi Neef, 1970 Struthiolaria vermis grahami Neef, 1970 Struthiolaria vermis powelli Neef, 1970 Struthiolaria vermis vellai Neef, 1970 Struthiolaria vermis wellmani Neef, 1970

Pelicaria vermis, known as the small ostrich foot shell or takai in Māori, is a species of sea snail, a marine gastropod mollusc in the family Struthiolariidae. It is the only extant species in the genus.

Distribution & Habitat

This species is endemic to the North Island of New Zealand, where it lives just beneath the surface on tidal flats and off sandy beaches, occasionally to depths of 90m.

Shell of Pelicaria vermis, apertural view

Description

The shell height is up to 54 mm, and width up to 35 mm, colouring usually yellow brown, rarely plain yellow or purple.