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Family  Fustiariidae

Task shells

An introduction to the class Scaphopoda is given in the introduction to the family Dentaliidae.

The Fustiariidae possesses the characters of Scaphopoda, but differs in the detail of the radula and animal’s anatomy (Lamprell & Healy, 1998). The shell is smooth and polished, without any longitudinal sculpture. In Australia the family is represented solely by the genus Fustiaria, with two species, F. stenoschizum and F. caesura. Fustiaria caesura is fairly commonly trawled off the NSW coast.

Family reference: Lamprell, K.L. & Healy, J.M. 1998. A revision of the Scaphopoda from Australian waters (Mollusca) Records of the Australian Museum Supplement 24: 1–189.

Coverage: Only one species of this family occurs in NSW; it is detailed here.

Identification notes: In the Fustiariidae the shell is smooth and polished without any longitudinal ribs, but growth lines are present to a variable degree. There is usually a long, narrow longitudinal slit commencing at the apex. The slit varies in length between specimens, and can reach up to one-quarter of the total shell length. However, the slit is completely absent in some individuals.