Micromelo undatus

Micromelo undatus, common name the miniature melo, is an uncommon species of small sea snail or bubble snail, a marine opisthobranch gastropod mollusk in the family Aplustridae.[1]

Miniature melo
Micromelo undatus, head end towards the right
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Mollusca
Class: Gastropoda
Subclass: Heterobranchia
Family: Aplustridae
Genus: Micromelo
Species:
M. undatus
Binomial name
Micromelo undatus
(Bruguière, 1792)

Distribution

This species occurs in the Caribbean, Florida, Costa Rica, Panama, Bermuda, Brazil,[2] Cape Verde Islands, Canary Islands, Ascension Island, Eastern Atlantic, South Africa, Japan, Thailand and the State of Hawaii.

Description
Micromelo undatus shells.
Micromelo undatus, head end towards the upper right.

The thinly calcified shell is covered with undulating brown lines, crossed with two other spiral lines. The shell length is 12 to 17 mm. The maximum recorded shell length is 17 mm.[3]

The large, colorful body is blue with white spots. The margin of the foot has a diffuse blue line.

Habitat

Minimum recorded depth is 0 m.[3] Maximum recorded depth is 5 m.[3] It lives on soft substrates and on the algal turf areas of rocky reefs.

Feeding habits

This snail feeds on cirratulinid polychaete worms. The toxins from these worms become incorporated into the snail's tissues and are then used for the bubble snail's own defense.

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References
  1. Micromelo undatus (Bruguière, 1792). Retrieved through: World Register of Marine Species on 8 January 2019.
  2. "Conquiliologistas do Brasil". Retrieved 2009-10-04.
  3. Welch J. J. (2010). "The “Island Rule” and Deep-Sea Gastropods: Re-Examining the Evidence". PLoS ONE 5(1): e8776. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0008776.
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