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Caecum lilianum Hedley, 1903

Description: Shell minute, curved, tapering, with about 20 strong, regular, encircling ribs, about their own width apart, and a stronger rib at the wide end. Narrow end closed with flat septum. Colour white.

Size: Up to 2.5 mm in length.

Distribution: Endemic to Australia: Queensland and NSW. The distribution of this species is uncertain. The Australian Museum collection contains only 10 lots. Eight of these are from NSW, ranging from the Clarence River in the north southwards to Sydney. There is one lot of a single specimen from South Australia, (which may be mis-localised or misidentified) and one lot, of hundreds of specimens, from off Masthead Island, Queensland, in 31-37 m.

Habitat: All the available specimens were collected as empty shells, from beach washup and from dredging down to 91 m. Very uncommon.

Remarks: Named for Miss Lily Parkes, who presented the type, from Long Bay, Sydney, to the Australian Museum, (not after Lilliput of Gulliver's Travels).

Fig. 1: Manly, NSW (C.228174)

 

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