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Schooner Specimen Shells
by Ross Mayhew creator of The Mollusc of the Moment Articles |
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Hedley |
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Species: Cymbiolacca perplicata (Hedley, 1902) English Name: None - deep-water shell seldom seen Image: done on a UMAX 1200S scanner. |
| The Volute family is found in tropical seas, and is carnivorous or scavengers by nature. It is a family of good-sized critters (no microshells), with about 250 described species inhabiting a wide variety of habitats, from the subtidal zone down to nearly abyssal depths. Its shells have long been a favorite of collectors, because its many species are often exceptionally beautiful - combining elegant forms, interesting shell sculpture, vivid colors and lovely patterns. Also, nearly all of them are good-sized, and many have a high gloss - in other words, Volutes have it all, conchologically-speaking!! The lovely species scanned above is a good rarity found only in Northeastern Australia - this one from the Coral Sea. Live specimens are so uncommon that when a few were brought up by the rececnt "Tura Expidition", the find was reported in the periodical "Of Sea and Shore" - a Conchological journal published by Tom Rice. That said, there are some volute species which are known only from one or two species - now THAT'S Rare!!!
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