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Zoila kostini leemanica - Strong Mantle Line !!! , Mont 2025
Size
65.1 mm
Locality
Leeman, WA
Note
Over the past ten years I have had a desire to collect friendii on the continental shelf west of Geraldton to study the inter-grade between aurata and kostini. Until February 2023 we had only found one live specimen in 200 metres of water west of the Abrolhos Islands. The reason for the difficulty in doing this has been exceptionally strong currents in the area and our inability to find sponge beds that are the species food source.
In February 2023 we had some success finding a number of specimens west southwest of Dongara and to the southwest of Geraldton. The shells we found were different to both kostini and aurata. They were consistently larger than southern kostini, more colorful with coarse spotting not unlike aurata, and less rounded mostly china white base. They are quite vercoi like. Perhaps 70% kostini and 30% aurata is an apt description. Recently described by Mont as the leemanica form of kostini.
This specimen was found munching on a white sponge in 205 metres of water west of Leeman during March 2024.
It is a narrow shell with very prominent siphons with tan spotted cream margins and a cream trimmed white base. Its dorsum is heavily spotted with course tan spots with an creamy wide mantle line. Graded Fine+/Fine++ as the posterior siphon has a healed chip and the dorsum has a hint of growth.
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