Triviella millardi

Triviella millardi
West coast baby's toes
Triviella millardi
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Mollusca
Class: Gastropoda
(unranked): clade Caenogastropoda
clade Hypsogastropoda
clade Littorinimorpha
Superfamily: Velutinoidea
Family: Triviidae
Genus: Triviella
Species: T. millardi
Binomial name
Triviella millardi
(Cate, 1979)
Synonyms

Trivia millardi (Cate, 1979)

Triviella millardi is a species of small sea snail, a marine gastropod mollusc in the family Triviidae, the trivias.

Distribution

This snail is known around the South African coast from Port Nolloth to the Cape Peninsula in 10-30 m. It is endemic to that area.[1]

Description

Triviella millardi has a plump round white shell, which is usually completely covered with the yellowish mantle, which is variably streaked with white or may have dark spots.[2] It reaches a maximum size of 40 mm.

Ecology

The white-streaked form of this animal resembles the scribbled nudibranch, Doriopsilla miniata, which may cause fish predators to avoid it.

shell of Triviella millardi

References

  1. LILTVED W.R. 2000. Cowries and their relatives of southern Africa ISBN 0-908420-89-7
  2. BRANCH, G.M., BRANCH, M.L, GRIFFITHS, C.L. and BECKLEY, L.E (2005): Two Oceans: a guide to the marine life of southern Africa ISBN 0-86486-672-0
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