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PHILINIDAE

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Philine angasi (Crosse, 1865)

Description: Shell completely internal in white lozenge-shaped slug, very thin and fragile, lightweight, inflated, spire slightly sunken. Surface with shallow spiral grooves in small specimens, becoming smooth apart from curved axial growth lines in large specimens. Aperture very wide, outer lip thin and sharp, inner lip with thin white glaze on parietal wall. Colour translucent white.

Size: Up to 40 mm in shell length.

Distribution: Australia and northern New Zealand. In Australia, from southern Qld southwards and around southern Australia to south-western WA, including Tas.

Habitat: This is common living in fine silty sand in sheltered waters at the low intertidal and below. It burrows in soft substrates, where it feeds on small bivalves. Common.

Figs. 1: Boydtown, Twofold Bay, NSW. (C.75518).

Remarks: A good photo of the live animal is on the Sea Slug Forum at http://www.seaslugforum.net/find/philanga