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Colubraria mulveyana (Iredale, 1925) Description: Shell with spire straight, whorls convex. Sculpture of 12-16 axial ribs between each varix, crossed by spiral ribs, forming circular nodules at the intersections; 1-3 smooth, secondary spiral riblets between each primary spiral rib. Varices about every three-quarters of whorl. Outer lip thickened internally, smooth. Columella smooth, continued as a thin glaze on the body whorl. Posterior canal absent. Colour fawn, mottled with darker blotches. Size: Both holotype and paratype 35 mm in length. Distribution: Holotype and paratype trawled in 74 fathoms, off Ulladulla, NSW. Habitat: Known only from the holotype and paratype. Comparison: This species is known only from the type specimens, which may be juvenile, judging from the lack of sculpture on the outer lip and the thin columellar callus. They resemble the tropical Colubraria castanea Kuroda & Habe, 1952, but differ in the form of the columellar callus and lip sculpture, as well as having smooth secondary spiral riblets between the primary ribs and a much larger protoconch. Colubraria myuna Garrard, 1961 is very similar to C. mulveyana. It is known from only the holotype, (type locality: trawled in 137 m, east of Broken Bay, NSW). It differs slightly from C. mulveyana by having a more developed columellar callus and weaker sculpture on the body whorl (Beu & Maxwell, 1987, p. 60). |
