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Zoila kostini leemanica New Sub Species !!!

68.0 mm Leeman, WA 2000,00 €

Item

# 0003870658

Family

Cypraeidae

Name

Zoila kostini leemanica - New Sub Species !!! , Mont 2025

Size

68.0 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. This specimen was found munching on a white sponge in 195 metres of water west of Leeman during September 2024. It exhibits the features of this new form with a flat china white base, narrow aperture with full teeth similar to a jeaniana. It is a mature, solid shell and flared with tan spotted white margins. Its white dorsum is heavily spotted with tan spots and has a wide mantle line. It is quite different to typical kostini we find off the lower west and south coasts. Hard to fault, hence the conservative Fine+++/Gem- grading apart from a soft fold near the anterior siphon. A new sub species as of August 2025!

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