Shells of South
East Queensland

Tweed Heads to Noosa
Cypraeidae

Palmadusta clandestina

(Linnaeus, 1758)
Shell: small, solid, ovate to sub-pyriform, ranging from 10-18 mm. Spire flattened, sometimes visible. Teeth: 15 to 17 columellar teeth; 14 to 19 labral teeth. Sculpture: smooth, porcelaneous, columellar teeth extending across the base and onto the margin. Aperture elongate, narrow, slightly wider at anterior. Exterior colour cream with diffuse, irregular tan cloud on dorsum crossed by thin zig zag tan lines; base and margins cream.


Specimens

Subspecies: Palmadusta clandestina moniliaris  (Lamarck, 1810)
Western Pacific, Australia, Polynesia. Extremities short and calloused; teeth coarse, extending across the base; extremitis not stained darker; brown zigzag lines distinct and dense.
Flat Rock,  Australia
Size: mm    Collected: 1998
found whilst diving in 24m of water shell was dead

Myora light,  Australia
Size: 16mm    Collected: 1997
No data.

Lamont Reef,  Australia
Size: 15mm    Collected: 2019
Under rocks on weather edge of reef. At low tide.

Long reef,  Australia
Size: 13.18mm    Collected: Unknown
Collected from under intertidal rocks.

Subspecies: Palmadusta clandestina moniliaris  (Lamarck, 1810)
Western Pacific, Australia, Polynesia. Extremities short and calloused; teeth coarse, extending across the base; extremitis not stained darker; brown zigzag lines distinct and dense.
Town of 1770,  Australia
Size: 18.99mm    Collected: Unknown
No data

Subspecies: Palmadusta clandestina moniliaris  (Lamarck, 1810)
Western Pacific, Australia, Polynesia. Extremities short and calloused; teeth coarse, extending across the base; extremitis not stained darker; brown zigzag lines distinct and dense.
Langford Reef,  Australia
Size: 15.88mm    Collected: Unknown
Collected from amongst rubble on exposed reef at extreme low tide.

Cape levique,  Australia
Size: 18.75mm    Collected: Unknown
Collected from under large slabs of dead coral at low tide.

Port Moresby,  Papua New Guinea
Size: mm    Collected: 1984
No data.

Mactan Island,  Philippines
Size: 10mm    Collected: 2017
collected by diver 20-30 m depth

Subspecies: Palmadusta clandestina passerina  (Melvill, 1888)
Western Indian Ocean. Teeth restricted to aperture; dorsal zones purpleish grey; lines finer and often indistinct; extremities less calloused and stained with brown.
Zanzibar,  Tanzania
Size: 16.49mm    Collected: Unknown
Collected from shallow reefs at low tide by local collectors.