earth science

Nassarius dorsatus

Nassarius dorsatus is a earth science topic covered in the lgStudy science library. This page brings together a partial reference excerpt, illustrations, worked examples, real-world applications and a short study plan, so you can understand Nassarius dorsatus rather than just read about it. In short: Nassarius dorsatus, common name the channeled nassa, is a species of sea snail, a marine gastropod mollusk in the family Nassariidae, the Nassa mud snails or dog whelks. Description The length of the shell varies between 15 mm and 45 mm.

Key takeaways

Nassarius dorsatus belongs to earth science; place it in that map before memorising details.
Learn the definition first, then one example that makes the definition concrete.
Connect Nassarius dorsatus to a quantity you can measure, compute or draw — that is where exam questions come from.
Reproduce the core statement of Nassarius dorsatus from memory before moving on to harder problems.

Reference excerpt

Nassarius dorsatus, common name the channeled nassa, is a species of sea snail, a marine gastropod mollusk in the family Nassariidae, the Nassa mud snails or dog whelks.

Description The length of the shell varies between 15 mm and 45 mm. The ovate, conical shell is smooth andof a uniform ashy white color. The spire is composed of eight whorls. The upper ones are slightly plaited, the lowest pretty large, marked with more or less straight, longitudinal lines, approximate, and of a color a little deeper and reddish. The base of the shell is ornamented with six or seven furrows. The ovate aperture is, white, fawn-colored within. The thick outer lip is arcuated towards the base, elevated exteriorly into a thick, very prominent margin. Within it is striated throughout its whole length. The left lip is thick, and partially covering the columella, which is adorned with guttules one half of its length. The first of these guttules, which is uppermost, is much more marked than the others. At the base of the columella is found a very prominent fold, terminated by a guttule formed like a flattened point.

Distribution This marine species occurs in the tropical Western Pacific, off East India, the Philippines, Papua New Guinea and Australia (New South Wales, the Northern Territory, Queensland, Western Australia)

Parasites Stephanostomum-like cercariae from Australia: Cercaria capricornia VII and Cercaria capricornia VIII

References

Röding, P.F. 1798. Museum Boltenianum sive Catalogus cimeliorum e tribus regnis naturae quae olim collegerat Joa. Hamburg : Trappii 199 pp. Gray, J.E. 1826. Mollusca. pp. 474–496 in King, P.P. (ed.). Narrative of a Survey of the Intertropical and Western Coasts of Australia. Performed between the years 1818 and 1822; with Appendix B. London : John Murray Vol. 2 viii 637 pp., 9 pls. Kiener, L.C. 1834. Spécies général et Iconographie des coquilles vivantes, comprenant la collection du Muséum d'histoire Naturelle de Paris, la collection de Lamarck, celle du Prince Massena (appartenant maintenant a M. le Baron B. Delessert) et les découvertes récentes des voyageurs. Paris : Rousseau Vol. 9. Reeve, L.A. 1853. Monograph of the genus Nassa. pls 1–25 in Reeve, L.A. (ed). Conchologia Iconica. London : L. Reeve Vol. 8. Cernohorsky, W. O. (1981). "Revision of the Australian and New Zealand Tertiary and Recent Species of the Family Nassariidae (Mollusca: Gastropoda)". Records of the Auckland Institute and Museum. 18: 137–192. ISSN 0067-0464. JSTOR 42906302. Wikidata Q58677171. Cernohorsky, W.O. 1984. Systematics of the family Nassariidae (Mollusca: Gastropoda). Bulletin of the Auckland Institute and Museum. Auckland, New Zealand 14: 1–356 Wilson, B. 1994. Australian Marine Shells. Prosobranch Gastropods. Kallaroo, WA : Odyssey Publishing Vol. 2 370 pp.

External links

"Nassarius (Zeuxis) dorsatus". Gastropods.com. Retrieved 16 January 2019.

Illustrations

Worked examples

Example 1 — a first encounter with Nassarius dorsatus

Start with the simplest possible case. Write down what Nassarius dorsatus claims or describes in one sentence, then invent the smallest concrete situation in which that sentence is true. In earth science, the smallest case is usually a single object, a single equation or a single measurement. Check that every symbol or term in your sentence has a meaning in that case.

Example 2 — changing one variable

Take the situation from Example 1 and change exactly one quantity: double it, halve it, or set it to zero. Predict what should happen to Nassarius dorsatus before you calculate. Comparing your prediction with the result is the fastest way to find out whether you understand the idea or only the words.

Example 3 — an exam-style question

Typical questions about Nassarius dorsatus ask you to (a) state it precisely, (b) apply it to given data, and (c) explain a limitation. Practise writing all three answers in under five minutes; the third part is what separates a full-mark answer from an average one.

Applications of Nassarius dorsatus

In research: Nassarius dorsatus appears in earth science research whenever the underlying quantities have to be modelled precisely. Papers usually cite it as a starting assumption and then explore where it breaks down.
In technology and industry: Engineering practice reuses Nassarius dorsatus in design rules, simulations and safety margins. Knowing the idea lets you read a specification sheet and understand why the numbers look the way they do.
In the classroom: Nassarius dorsatus is common in secondary-school and first-year university syllabi. It links to neighbouring topics Gastropods described in 1798, Molluscs of the Pacific Ocean, Nassarius, so understanding it makes those chapters shorter.
In everyday life: Look for Nassarius dorsatus outside the textbook — in sport, cooking, traffic, electronics or the sky above you. An example you found yourself is remembered far longer than one you were given.

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How to study Nassarius dorsatus in 20 minutes

Read the reference excerpt below once, without taking notes.
Close the page and write down what Nassarius dorsatus means in your own words.
Compare your version with the excerpt and mark what you missed.
Work through the three examples above with pen and paper.
Explain Nassarius dorsatus out loud to somebody else — or to Teacher Smith in the lgStudy chat.

Frequently asked questions

What is Nassarius dorsatus in simple terms?

Nassarius dorsatus, common name the channeled nassa, is a species of sea snail, a marine gastropod mollusk in the family Nassariidae, the Nassa mud snails or dog whelks. Description The length of the shell varies between 15 mm and 45 mm.

Why does Nassarius dorsatus matter?

Because it connects several earth science ideas at once: it gives you a definition you can apply, a quantity you can calculate, and a way to check whether a result is plausible.

How should I study Nassarius dorsatus?

Read the excerpt, restate it from memory, then work through the examples and applications listed on this page. The five-step study plan above takes about twenty minutes.

What does this page cover?

It gives you a compact reference excerpt plus original lgStudy explanations, examples, applications and study material on Nassarius dorsatus.