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Additional Photos
underside
dark
violet
more spots
pair on Lygbia
shell
egg mass
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GALLERY
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Diniatys dentifer (A.
Adams, 1850)
Maximum size: 12 mm
(extrapolated from shell length).
Identification:
This
species
has a transparent shell with faint, wavy spiral striae.
There is a prominent tooth on the columella and the outer lip may
be slightly thickened in mature shells. The animal is translucent olive
to light brown flecked with dark brown, dark olive and white. A band of
dark flecks usually runs between the eye spots.
Natural history:
Diniatys dentifer
is one of the most common haminoeids in Hawaii. It can be found both in
rocky habitats and Halimeda kanaloana
beds at depths of < 1 to 29 m (< 3 to 95 ft). It occurs in
protected to highly exposed sites. It probably feeds on the blue-green
algae Lygbya (on which it is
often found in the field) and lays a spherical, pale pink egg mass. The
egg mass is anchored in algal turf in the field and the eggs hatch in
about three days in the laboratory.
Distribution:
Big Island, Maui, Molokai, Oahu, French Frigate Shoals and Midway (also Johnston Atoll):
widely
distributed in
the Indo-Pacific.
Taxonomic notes:
This species is illustrated in Severns, 20ll as #5 on plate 189 (mislabeled as Mimatys sp. in the caption--caption switched with #4 on plate). Dinia compitorum
Pilsbry, 1921 is a synonym (Kay, 1979) and it is listed under that name
in Edmondson, 1946. It was probably first reported from Hawaii in
Pilsbry, 1921.
Photo: CP: 11
mm: Hekili Point, Maui; Nov. 27, 2003.
Observations and comments:
Note
1: ( )
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