Notovoluta pseudolirata

Item Number: NPL2
Species Author: Tate, 1888
Details: 48.5mm Fine++

Pseudolirata is a relatively common volute on the outer edge of the continental shelf in depths between 150 and 250 metres of water off the lower west coast. Over the years we have found very few live shells and a number of crabbed specimens. Unfortunately this is also the habitat of the champagne crab which is extremely powerful and highly predictory on live mollusks and hermit crabs. As the result adult pseudolirata in good condition are extremely rare and we have only ever collected a handful of specimens.

For this reason we ask a substantially more for the very rare quality shell we find in comparison to the more abundant badly mauled shells.  It appears juvenile specimens inhabit depths between 140 metres and 180 metres but as they grow they migrate offshore into deeper water on the continental shoulder. This small live collecred shell was found crawling on sand among sponges in 136 metres of water south of Augusta in December 2022.

This specimen has a small growth interruptions on its spire. It has a thick mature lip.

One of the nicest small live collected specimens that we have found !!!

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