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EULIMIDAE |
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Stilapex parva (Schepman, 1909) Description: Shell relatively small for family, globose, light in weight. Protoconch peg-like, about 1½ whorls, with distinct sinuous junction with teleoconch. Teleoconch about 5 well rounded whorls, smooth, suture well defined, with only one outer lip scar which marks change from male to female stage. Aperture broad, about one-third of shell length. Outer lip strongly convex in profile, thin, broken in all available specimens. Shell colourless transparent. Size: Up to 5 mm in length. Distribution: Holotype from Sumbawa, Indonesia, in 276 m. NSW specimens from off Wollongong, in 100 m; off Clovelly in 24 m; and Sydney without habitat data. Another specimen from South Australia. Habitat: Parasitic on starfish of the family Ophiotrichidae (Warén, 1981). Remarks: Stilapex laseroni Cotton, 1957 is a previously recognised synonym. Remarks: In this species the animals are sequential hermaphrodites, with the small males changing into larger females of about 2.5 times the size. Males and females usually occur in clusters of one female with 1-3 males. Fig. 1: 7-8 miles off Wollongong, NSW, in 100-102 m (C.016330) Outer lip broken and shell discoloured orange by dried animal remains inside. |
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