Alcyna kingensis, common name the King Island kelp shell, is a species of sea snail, a marine gastropod mollusk in the family Trochidae, the top snails.Marshall, B. (2013). Alcyna kingensis (Gabriel, 1956). Accessed through: World Register of Marine Species at http://www.marinespecies.org/aphia.php?p=taxdetails&id=720350 on 2014-01-07 This endemic Australian species reaches approximately 5–7 mm in shell diameter and is characterized by its globose-conical shape with intricate spiral sculpture. Found exclusively in the Bass Strait region, particularly around King Island and northern Tasmania, it inhabits shallow subtidal kelp beds at depths of 2–15 meters. Like other trochids, A. kingensis grazes on microalgae and detritus, playing an important role in coastal ecosystem dynamics. The species was first described by Petterd in 1879 based on specimens collected from King Island's eastern coast.
Description
The size of the shell attains 5–7 mm. Distribution This marine species is endemic to Australia and occurs off Tasmania.
References
Gabriel, C.J. 1956. Mollusca from southeast of King Island, Bass Strait. Memoirs of the National Museum, Melbourne 22(4): 1-15 Wilson, B. 1993. Australian Marine Shells. Prosobranch Gastropods. Kallaroo, Western Australia : Odyssey Publishing Vol. 1 408 pp.
External links To World Register of Marine Species Gastropods.com: Alcyna kingensis