October 8, 2013 at 6:32 pm

Picture of the Day: Snail with Semi-Transparent Shell Discovered

by twistedsifter

 

SNAIL WITH SEMI-TRANSPARENT SHELL DISCOVERED

 

snail with semi transparent shell Picture of the Day: Snail with Semi Transparent Shell Discovered

Photograph by Jana Bedek

 

In a paper published on 30 August 2013 by the International Society for Subterranean Biology, Dr Alexander Weigand of Goethe-University Frankfurt, Germany, has described a new species of cave-dwelling snail from the Lukina Jama–Trojama cave system.

The new species, Zospeum tholussum, is a tiny and fragile snail with a dome-like, semi-transparent shell. It was found in an unnamed large chamber of the cave at a depth of 980 meters (3,215 ft).

The Lukina jama cave is 1,421 meters (4,662 ft) deep, making it the deepest cave in Croatia and the deepest in all of southeast Europe. You can read the official paper and learn more about the discovery at Pensoft.net.

 

 

picture of the day button Picture of the Day: Snail with Semi Transparent Shell Discovered