Amalda mucronata is a species of medium-sized sea snail, a marine gastropod mollusc in the family Ancillariidae.
These snails live in the sandy subtidal near-shore environment where they eat bivalves. Fossil material of this species provides evidence of morphological stasis over 5 million years.
Shell description The shell height is up to 61 mm, and the width is up to 27 mm.
(Original description) The solid, stubby shell is oblong, shiny and is pink to pale brown. The acuminated, callous spire is thickly coated in enamel. The pointed apex is paler. The body whorl features a white-bordered band near its upper section, while a faintly impressed line ends in a small, blunt tooth at the lower edge of the outer lip.
Two bands are visible near the lower part of the body whorl, with a very indistinct groove marking the beginning of the columellar varix, which is narrow, whitish, and subtly striated. The wide aperture is somewhat acute at the top and notched at the bottom. The outer lip is slightly thickened at the edge, with a single small tooth near the base. The upper portion of the inner lip extends over the spire. The columella shows a central ridge and is twisted anteriorly.Sowerby G.B. I (1830). Species Conchylirum or concise original descriptions and accompanied by figures of all the species of Recent shells, with their varieties. G.B. Sowerby, London.
Distribution This marine species is endemic to and occurs off New Zealand.
References
Powell A W B, New Zealand Mollusca, William Collins Publishers Ltd, Auckland, New Zealand 1979 Glen Pownall, New Zealand Shells and Shellfish, Seven Seas Publishing Pty Ltd, Wellington, New Zealand 1979
External links Massey University NZ Fauna Scanned 3D model of Amalda mucronata fossil