Indothais rufotincta
| Indothais rufotincta | |
|---|---|
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| Indothais rufotincta (Tan & Sigurdsson, 1996); Length 2.8 cm; Originating from the Thailand; Shell of own collection, therefore not geocoded | |
Scientific classification 
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| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Mollusca |
| Class: | Gastropoda |
| Subclass: | Caenogastropoda |
| Order: | Neogastropoda |
| Family: | Muricidae |
| Genus: | Indothais |
| Species: | I. rufotincta
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| Binomial name | |
| Indothais rufotincta (K. S. Tan & Sigurdsson, 1996)
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| Synonyms[1] | |
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Indothais rufotincta is a species of sea snail, a marine gastropod mollusk, in the family Muricidae, the murex snails or rock snails.[1][2]
Description
Indothais rufotincta is a species of sea snail, a marine gastropod mollusk, belonging to the family Muricidae. It is characterized by its shell, which can grow to be 15-43 mm in size. The species was described by Tan and Sigurdsson in 1996. It is found in the Western Pacific, including areas like Singapore.
Distribution
, a species of sea snail, is found in the Indo-Pacific region, specifically in the tropical and subtropical waters of Asia and Australia, according to the Marine Biodiversity Portal of Bangladesh. It is known to inhabit coral reefs and rocky shores. The species was first described from Singapore and has also been recorded in the Eastern Mediterranean.
Life Cycle
Indothais rufotincta starts life in a pretty fascinating way. Adult snails lay clusters of egg capsules on hard surfaces like rocks, coral, or even other shells. Inside each tiny capsule are several developing embryos, safely tucked away until they're ready to hatch.
When the eggs hatch, the baby snails don’t look like snails at all. Instead, they emerge as tiny, free-swimming larvae that drift through the ocean, carried by the currents. During this stage, they feed on microscopic plankton and float around for days or even weeks. This is nature’s way of helping the species spread out and colonize new areas.
Eventually, these larvae go through a big transformation, kind of like a tadpole turning into a frog. They settle down onto the sea floor, change shape, and grow into miniature versions of adult snails—this is when they officially become juveniles.
From there, they slowly grow into adults. As full-grown snails, they live on the seabed and are carnivorous, feeding on barnacles, small shellfish, and other creatures they can scrape or drill into with their toothed tongue (called a radula).
The whole process—from egg to adult—takes several months, depending on water temperature and how much food is around.
References
- ^ a b MolluscaBase (2018). Indothais rufotincta (K. S. Tan & Sigurdsson, 1996). Accessed through: World Register of Marine Species at: http://www.marinespecies.org/aphia.php?p=taxdetails&id=714484 on 2019-01-06
- ^ Claremont M., Vermeij G.J., Williams S.T. & Reid D.G. (2013) Global phylogeny and new classification of the Rapaninae (Gastropoda: Muricidae), dominant molluscan predators on tropical rocky seashores. Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution 66: 91–102. [Published online 28 September 2012; Code-compliant paper version published January 2013]
External links
