Local Distribution
Members of the Rissoidae are mostly found in inter-tidal and shallow littoral habitats feeding on algae (Ponder, 1985). Some inter-tidal species have been shown to live under rocks and feed on foraminifera (Ponder, 1985). There are also a number of abyssal species that have been discovered and this number is expected to increase as sampling methods advance (Ponder, 1985). The individuals used in this study are of an unknown origin. It is believed they were introduced to the tank with the gravel or on the marine plant which is abundant in the tank. The marine plant belongs to the genus Caulopa, which is a major group of seaweeds.
Species from the genus Voorwindia have been discovered off the south-east coast of Australia and shows similar characteristics to the individuals of this study (This is discussed under Evolution and Systematics). Voorwindia umblicata is found in estuaries and sheltered bays on the northern half of the New South Wales coast where it is associated with seagrass (Ponder, 1985). Sampled depths varied between 0-11 meters. As shown in the biogeographic tab, this is not the case for Setia, which is located predominantly in the northern Hemisphere (Avila, 2013; Ponder, 1985).
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