Crisilla galvagni


Crisilla galvagni is a species of small sea snail, a marine gastropod mollusk or micromollusk in the family Rissoidae.
Crisilla galvagni is a species of minute sea snail, a marine gastropod mollusc belonging to the family Rissoidae. Like other members of the genus Crisilla, it is classified as a micromollusc due to its very small shell size. The species is part of the diverse rissoid fauna commonly found in marine environment habitats across parts of the northeastern Atlantic and Mediterranean regions.

Taxonomy

Kingdom: AnimaliaPhylum: MolluscaClass: GastropodaSuperfamily: RissooideaFamily: RissoidaeGenus: CrisillaSpecies: C. galvagni
The species was originally described during taxonomic revisions of rissoid gastropods and has since been retained within the genus Crisilla based on shell morphology and anatomical features typical of the group.

Description

Crisilla galvagni is a micromollusc, generally measuring only a few millimeters in length. Its shell is:
  • Small and ovate-conical
  • The shell attains a length of 1.4 mm.
  • Typically semi-transparent to light brown
  • Sculptured with fine growth lines or faint spiral striations
  • Equipped with a simple, rounded aperture
Like other rissoids, the soft body is adapted for crawling on hard substrates, with a well-developed head, tentacles, and operculum.

Distribution

The species is known from parts of the Mediterranean Sea and possibly the adjacent northeastern Atlantic. Records generally associate it with:
Exact distribution ranges vary between regional marine surveys, as micromolluscs are often under-sampled due to their small size.

Habitat and Ecology

Crisilla galvagni inhabits shallow marine ecosystems, usually living:
  • Among algae and seagrass
  • On stones, shells, and rocky substrates
  • In areas with moderate water movement
As a grazer, it feeds on microalgae, biofilm, and organic detritus, playing a small but significant role in coastal benthic food webs.

Conservation Status

There is no targeted conservation assessment specifically for Crisilla galvagni. However: