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Mesoginella victoriae (Gatliff & Gabriel, 1908)

Diagnosis: Shell small, white, strongly narrowed anteriorly, oval in outline; spire moderately tall; aperture moderately narrow, wider anteriorly; lip denticulate on lower three-quarters, strongly thickened internally, thickest centrally; external varix present; siphonal notch absent; posterior notch weak; ventral callus absent; columella with four strong plaits occupying about half the aperture, 4^th fold remote.

Size: Adults 3.8-5 mm in length.

Distribution: Australian Museum Collection: off Yepoon , Queensland , to Port Phillip Bay , Victoria , and Bass Strait .  Uncommon as empty beach shells; lives subtidally, down to 145 metres.

Comparison: This is a distinctive species, with a characteristic ovate shape to the body whorl.  It has a very much thickened lip with denticles on the lower three-quarters, but these only develop on mature shells; shells can have quite a thick lip but still be immature and lack the denticles.  The columellar teeth are particularly strong and straight sided. (See Identification of beach specimens)

Figs. 1,2: Off Sow and Pigs Reef, Port Jackson, NSW (C.318921). The illustrated specimen is from the lot figured by Laseron (1948, fig. 12).