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ISCHNOCHITONIDAE |
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Ischnochiton (Ischnoradsia) australis (Sowerby, 1833) Description: Animal ovate, elongate, girdle moderately narrow. Median valves with pleural and lateral areas well defined; lateral areas raised with strong divaricating ribs, pleural areas with longitudinal ridges over whole area. Girdle covered with large, tightly packed smooth scales, up to 0.6 mm in width. Colour uniformly dark green, khaki or grey. Size: Up to 80 mm in length. Distribution: Endemic to Australia; southern Qld southwards and around southern Australia to Gulf St. Vincent, SA, including Tas. Habitat: Lives under stones intertidally. Common . Comparison: This species of Ischnochiton stands out because of its large size and uniformly dark colour. Remarks: The strength of the sculpture is variable and subspecies have been named based on several forms, but there is continuous variation between them. NSW and Qld specimens tend to be strongly sculptured while those from Vic, Tas and SA are smoother. Fig. 1: Twofold Bay, NSW (C.347211) Fig. 2: Same specimen as Fig. 1 |
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