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Ovaginella pisum (Reeve, 1865)

Diagnosis: Shell small, white, elliptic; spire immersed; lip moderately thickened,  smooth or denticulate; external varix present; siphonal notch and posterior notch absent; columella with four plaits at lower third.

Size: Adults 4–5.5 mm in length.

Distribution: Australian Museum Collection: Tweed Heads, NSW, to south-western WA including Tasmania .  Recorded from 40-194 metres.  Uncommon.

Comparison: Smaller and more rounded than O. ovulum.

Synonymy: Marginella petterdi Beddome, 1883; Marginella stiria Cotton, 1949 (replacement name for Marginella rotunda Laseron, 1948) (Hewish in Wilson, 1994).

Remarks: This species has the lip varying from completely smooth to completely denticulate; most NSW specimens are denticulate on the lower third of the lip.

Fig. 1: SYNTYPE of Marginella rotunda Laseron, 1948;  30-35 fathoms (55-64 m) off Crookhaven, NSW (C.103369)


Copyright Des Beechey 2003