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LEPTOCHITONIDAE |
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Leptochiton badius (Hedley & Hull, 1909) Description: Animal small, elongate-ovate, moderately broad, girdle relatively narrow. All valves sculptured with small granules; on median valves arranged in longitudinal rows in central areas and curved rows or randomly placed in lateral areas. Girdle with extremely small, ovate, striated scales, 0.04 mm long. Colour uniformly fawn or brown. Size: Up to 6 mm in length. Distribution: Endemic to Australia: Port Cartwright, Qld, southward and around southern Australia to south-western WA, including Tas. Habitat: Lives under stones embedded in sand at and below low tide level. Common. Comparison: The small size allied with granules over all the surface and the extremely small girdle scales is sufficient to identify this species. Synonymy: Terenochiton iscus Cotton & Weeding, 1939 from SA is a previously recognised synonym. Remarks: The foot of the animal is deep red in NSW specimens. Fig. 1: Long Reef, Collaroy, NSW (C.054493). Fig. 2: Sculpture detail. Same specimen as Fig. 1. |
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