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Pronucula decorosa Hedley, 1902

Description: Shell small for family, light in weight. Shape equivalve, inequilateral with umbones behind midline, umbones low; shell inflated; anterior end broadly rounded; posterior end rounded subtruncate. Hinge taxodont, with strong teeth, with up to 7 anterior and 5 posterior teeth. Chondrophore vertical, projects beyond hinge line. Interior with external ribs showing through because of shell’s thinness, ventral margin without crenulations, but lightly corrugated by external ribs. Exterior with strong, broad, widely spaced radial ribs on median area; ribs crossed by numerous, fine, irregular concentric growth lines; radial ribs and growth lines do not form a decussate texture where they intersect. Periostracum thick, flaky, fawn. Shell colour white or colourless transparent.

Size: Up to 3 mm in length.

Distribution: Known from Laurieton, NSW, southwards to Twofold Bay, NSW. Also reported from SA.

Habitat: Subtidal; down to 146 m. Moderately common.

Synonymy: None.

Fig. 1: 5-8 miles off Port Kembla, NSW, in 115-137 m (C.170584, PARATYPE)

 


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