Kokikora
| Kokikora | |
|---|---|
| Holotype of K. angulata | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Mollusca |
| Class: | Gastropoda |
| Order: | Stylommatophora |
| Family: | Punctidae |
| Subfamily: | Laominae |
| Genus: | Kokikora Climo & Goulstone, 1995 |
| Type species | |
| K. angulata | |
Kokikora is a genus of land snails belonging to the family Punctidae.[1] First described in 1995, both known members of the genus are endemic to New Zealand.
Description
Members of the genus have small shells measuring less than 3 mm (0.12 in), are unicoloured, and either turbinate or depressed turbinate, and distinctly but not sharply angled body whorls. The protoconch is mostly smooth, or has a faint spiral sculpture. The genus has post-nuclear whorls that are either smooth, or have a few growth ridges. The animal has some light black markings, and yellow pigment on its visceral coil.[2]
Taxonomy
The genus was described by Frank Climo and James Frederick Goulstone in 1995. In the same paper, Climo and Goulstone described the two known members of the genus, designating K. angulata as the type species. The genus name is a combination of the Māori language words for bent and fragment.[2] The holotypes of both known species are held by the Auckland War Memorial Museum.[3]
Distribution and habitat
The genus is endemic to New Zealand, with K. angulata found in the northern Tasman District and the North Island in the Auckland Region and Northland Region. K. mimiwhangata has a restricted range, known to occur between the eastern Bay of Islands and Deep Water Cove in Northland.[2]
Members of the genus are typically found in coastal areas, associated with old growth trees including pōhutukawa and nīkau, often near epiphytes growing on these trees.[2] K. angulata tends to be found in suspended leaf litter.[4]
Species
Species within the genus Kokikora include:[1]
- Kokikora angulata Climo & Goulstone, 1995
- Kokikora mimiwhangata Climo & Goulstone, 1995
Gallery
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Top-down view of K. angulata holotype
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Underside view of K. angulata holotype
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Top-down view of K. mimiwhangata holotype
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Underside view of K. mimiwhangata holotype
References
- ^ a b Kokikora Climo & Goulstone, 1995. Retrieved through: World Register of Marine Species on 7 October 2025.
- ^ a b c d Climo, F. M.; Goulstone, J. F. (1994). "A New Genus and Two New Species of Northern New Zealand Landsnails (Mollusca: Punctidae)". Records of the Auckland Institute and Museum. 31: 205–214. ISSN 0067-0464. JSTOR 42906443. Wikidata Q58677468.
- ^ Blom, Wilma M. (2025). "Annotated Catalogue of Fossil and Extant Molluscan Types in the Auckland War Memorial Museum". Bulletin of the Auckland Museum. 22. doi:10.32912/BULLETIN/22. ISSN 1176-3213. OCLC 1550165130. Wikidata Q135397912.
- ^ Barker, Gary M. (2005). "The character of the New Zealand land snail fauna and communities: some evolutionary and ecological perspectives". Records of the Western Australian Museum, supplement. 68 (1): 53. doi:10.18195/ISSN.0313-122X.68.2005.053-102. ISSN 0313-122X. Wikidata Q106728496.
External links
- Kokikora at New Zealand Mollusca