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Volva volva (Linnaeus, 1758)

Description: Shell light in weight, extremities drawn out into long canals. Body whorl smooth or with faint spiral grooves and ridges; anterior and posterior canals with stronger spiral ridges. Outer lip thickened, smooth inside and out; inner lip of aperture smooth. Colour white, pink or pale purple.

Size: Up to 134 mm in length.

Distribution: Indo-West Pacific; in Australia, North West Cape, WA, to Wollongong, NSW.

Habitat: Taken in 40-100 m. Moderately common in Queensland, rare in central NSW.

Synonym: The subspecies Volva volva cumulata Iredale, 1931 was applied to the population at the southern end of the Australian range as "it differs in proportions", but this variation is not sufficient to warrant taxonomic separation.

Fig. 1: Evans Head, NSW (C.077774)

 


Copyright Des Beechey 2004