Melanella antarctica is a species of sea snail, a marine gastropod mollusk in the family Eulimidae. The species is one of many species known to exist within the genus, Melanella.
Distribution This species occurs in Antarctic waters, these would include the Amundsen Sea, Bellingshausen Sea, Weddell Sea and the Ross Sea respectively.Strebel, 1908. Southern Ocean Mollusc Database (SOMBASE), available online at . Accessed through: World Register of Marine Species at http://www.marinespecies.org/aphia.php?p=taxdetails&id=197274 on 2013-03-26.Engl W. (2012) Shells of Antarctica. Hackenheim: Conchbooks. 402 pp.Warén A. (2011). Checklist of Eulimidae. pers. com.
Description The maximum recorded shell length is 4 mm.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.
(Original description in German) The slender shell is white, becoming somewhat more yellowish toward the apex, and is fairly glossy. It consists of six only slightly convex whorls, which are separated by a suture bordered by a sharply defined, pure-white line. The upper half of the body whorl is nearly flat or slightly concave; below this, the whorl expands somewhat and becomes slightly sac-like.
The columellar fold is appressed, while the columella itself is slightly curved outward and lies obliquely to the axis. Inferiorly, it passes somewhat angularly into the basal margin. The sculpture consists of distinct, isolated growth lines, which evidently correspond to successive stages in the shell’s growth.
Habitat Minimum recorded depth is 102 m. Maximum recorded depth is 489 m.
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