Laetifautor spinulosus

Laetifautor spinulosus
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Mollusca
Class:	Gastropoda
Subclass:	Vetigastropoda
Order:	Trochida
Superfamily:	Trochoidea
Family:	Calliostomatidae
Subfamily:	Calliostomatinae
Genus:	Laetifautor
Species:	L. spinulosus
Binomial name
	Laetifautor spinulosus; (Tate, 1893)
Synonyms
	Calliostoma spinulosum Tate, 1893

Laetifautor spinulosus, common name the spine top shell, is a species of sea snail, a marine gastropod mollusk, in the family Calliostomatidae within the superfamily Trochoidea, the top snails, turban snails and their allies.^[1] This Indo-Pacific species exhibits a distinctive conical shell with prominent spiral cords bearing acute, scalelike spines—a morphology adapted for stability in high-energy intertidal zones. Distributed from Japan to New Caledonia, it inhabits coral rubble and algal substrates at 5–50 m depths^[2]. Like many calliostomatids, it is a selective feeder on sponges and bryozoans, using its specialized radula to scrape prey. Molecular studies confirm its placement in the resurrected genus Laetifautor, distinguished by mitochondrial 16S rRNA sequences.^[3]^[4]

Description

The height of the shell attains 7 mm.

Distribution

This marine species occurs off Southern Australia and Western Australia.

References

^ ^a ^b MolluscaBase (2018). Laetifautor spinulosus (Tate, 1893). Accessed through: World Register of Marine Species at: http://www.marinespecies.org/aphia.php?p=taxdetails&id=467302 on 2018-12-28
^ "Common and Scientific Names of Aquatic Invertebrates: Mollusks 2nd Edition", American Fisheries Society, 1998, doi:10.47886/9781888569018.ch1, ISBN 978-1-888569-01-8, retrieved 2025-08-05 {{citation}}: Missing or empty |title= (help)
^ Williams, T; Donald, M; Spencer, G; Nakano, N (2014). "Molecular systematics of the marine gastropod families Trochidae and Calliostomatidae (Mollusca: Superfamily Trochoidea) (project)". MorphoBank datasets. doi:10.7934/p223. Retrieved 2025-08-05.
^ Marshall, Bruce (1996-06-01). "Molluscan name-bearing types in the Museum of New Zealand Te Papa Tongarewa". Tuhinga. 9: 1–85. doi:10.3897/tuhinga.9.e34125. ISSN 2253-5861.

Allan, J. (1950). Australian Shells: with related animals living in the sea, in freshwater and on the land. Melbourne : Georgian House. xix 470 pp.
Cotton, B.C. (1959). South Australian Mollusca. Archaeogastropoda. Adelaide : Govt. Printer. pp. 1–449.
Wilson, B. (1993). Australian Marine Shells. Prosobranch Gastropods. Kallaroo, WA : Odyssey Publishing. Vol.1 1st Edn pp. 1–408.

This Calliostomatidae-related article is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it.

[WoRMS-1] MolluscaBase (2018). Laetifautor spinulosus (Tate, 1893). Accessed through: World Register of Marine Species at: http://www.marinespecies.org/aphia.php?p=taxdetails&id=467302 on 2018-12-28

[2] "Common and Scientific Names of Aquatic Invertebrates: Mollusks 2nd Edition", American Fisheries Society, 1998, doi:10.47886/9781888569018.ch1, ISBN 978-1-888569-01-8, retrieved 2025-08-05 {{citation}}: Missing or empty |title= (help)

[3] Williams, T; Donald, M; Spencer, G; Nakano, N (2014). "Molecular systematics of the marine gastropod families Trochidae and Calliostomatidae (Mollusca: Superfamily Trochoidea) (project)". MorphoBank datasets. doi:10.7934/p223. Retrieved 2025-08-05.

[4] Marshall, Bruce (1996-06-01). "Molluscan name-bearing types in the Museum of New Zealand Te Papa Tongarewa". Tuhinga. 9: 1–85. doi:10.3897/tuhinga.9.e34125. ISSN 2253-5861.

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