Palaina capillacea

Palaina capillacea, also known as the strong-bladed staircase snail, is a species of staircase snail that is endemic to Australia's Lord Howe Island in the Tasman Sea.

Palaina capillacea
Specimen of Palaina capillacea at Naturalis Biodiversity Center
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Mollusca
Class:	Gastropoda
Subclass:	Caenogastropoda
Order:	Architaenioglossa
Superfamily:	Cyclophoroidea
Family:	Diplommatinidae
Genus:	Palaina
Species:	P. capillacea
Binomial name
Palaina capillacea (Pfeiffer, 1855)
Location of Lord Howe Island
Synonyms
Diplommatina capillacea Pfeiff., 1855 Palaina capillacea definita Iredale, 1944 Palaina howeinsulae Iredale, 1944 Palaina nicholsae Iredale, 1944

Description

The pupiform shell of adult snails is 3.8–4.1 mm in height, with a diameter of 1.9–2.1 mm and a conical spire. It is white in colour, with impressed sutures. It has bold, closely spaced, axal ribs. The umbilicus is closed. The circular aperture has a flared lip and an operculum is present. The animal has a white body with dark grey cephalic tentacles and black eyes.^[1]

Habitat

The snail is common and widespread throughout the island.^[1]