Shells of South
East Queensland

Tweed Heads to Noosa
Cypraeidae

Palmadusta asellus

(Linnaeus, 1758)
Shell: small to moderately small, solid, ovate , ranging from 15-23 mm. Spire concealed. Teeth: 13 to 14 columellar teeth; 16 to 17 labral teeth. Sculpture: smooth, porcelaneous. Exterior colour colour white with 3 chocolate brown to black axial bands across the dorsum, edges tinged with orange; base and margins white.


Specimens

Hutchinson,  Australia
 Size: mm    Collected: 1999
found dead in 10m of water, also found one shell broken, obvoiusly eaten by something
Alexandra Headland,  Australia
 Size: 20mm    Collected: Unknown
Dead collected.
Mudjimba Island,  Australia
 Size: 22.17mm    Collected: 2000
Collected from rocky reef at 15m by diver.
forma: latefasciata  Schilder, 1930

Keppel Island,  Australia
 Size: 23mm    Collected: Unknown
Under rocks on exposed reef. Low tide.
Lamont Reef,  Australia
 Size: 16mm    Collected: 2019
Under rocks on weather edge of reef. At low tide.
Swains Reef,  Australia
 Size: 22.58mm    Collected: Unknown
Collected from coral reef by hand [low tide]. Dead collected
Uepi Point,  Solomon Islands
 Size: 15mm    Collected: 2018
Dead in sand on reef slope at about 10m
Uepi Is - Billy's point,  Solomon Islands
 Size: mm    Collected: 2002
found dead in 10m of water,

Hot Spot,  Solomon Islands
 Size: mm    Collected: 2000
animal had been dead a while as the shell is partially covered with white calcium deposits
Uepi Point,  Solomon Islands
 Size: mm    Collected: 1998
found dead on beach near coral reef. shell ihas lost its lustre, but banding and colouration is still evident
Horseshoe Reef,  Papua New Guinea
 Size: mm    Collected: 2001
found dead in sand on coral reef in 5m of water
The Hole,  Papua New Guinea
 Size: mm    Collected: 1984
on coral reef in coral crevise
forma: bitaeniata  (Geret, 1903)
 Oval, more depressed; posterior extremity more produced; posterior columellar teeth more distinct forming elevations; dark dorsal zones narrow and often bordered with orange; white longitudinal lines absent.
 Rinca Island,  Indonesia
 Size: 19.28mm    Collected: Unknown
No data.

Subspecies: Palmadusta asellus asellus  (Linnaeus, 1758)
Puerta Princessa,  Philippines
 Size: 20.4mm    Collected: Unknown
Collected on intertidal reef by Local collectors.

Subspecies: Palmadusta asellus armadillo  Bergonzoni, 2015
 East Africa, Madagascar. Callous well developed on both sides reaching towards the dorsum; teeth shorter, labral teeth more numerous; dorsal zones broader with conspicuous orange band, white zones narrow; longitudinal lines promient.
 Zanzibar,  Tanzania
 Size: 18mm    Collected: Unknown
No data.

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