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Sabia Australis

Sabia australis is a species of small limpet-like sea snail, a marine gastropod mollusk in the family Hipponicidae, the hoof snails.

Description

Sabia australis typically has a conical shell, which color can range from white to yellow or orange. Its shell surface is usually rough and textured, which can provide them with protection against environmental circumstances, as well as camouflage that protects them from other predators. The size of its shell varies depending on factors like age, environmental conditions, etc. Though, usually, they can grow up to 30 millimeters in length.

Reproduction

Females of Sabia australis makes up to 10 eggs, mainly during the winter. Each of them have 9 to 24 embryos which hatch into crawling juveniles. These juveniles then drift or swim off to seek out a host for them to settle on.

Sabia australis is a bisexual species. Their sexual development depends on the proximity of conspecifics. For example, if it settles alone on a host, then it will quickly develop into a female, its male phase ranging from being very short to nonexistent, but if it settles next to a female, then it will develop into a male and live on the back of a female. This species is protandric hermaphroditism.

Diet

Sabia australis feeds on the faecal pellets of its host, more simply, its host's feces. In order to this, it normally places itself on the area of the shell where it has direct access to its host's excrements.

Distribution

This species is endemic to southeastern and southwestern Australia which includes New South Wales, Tasmania, Victoria, Southern Australia, and Western Australia. They are widespread and commonly found in Tasmanian waters. Sabia australis is considered to be cryptogenic on O'ahu, Hawai'i.

Habitat

Sabia australis resides on the shells belonging to other mollusks. They are found at areas of low tide ocean levels and in the shallow waters. There are typically more than one of them on one host.