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We have just relocated our boat from Busselton to Geraldton and collected shells from the edge of the continental shelf west of Leeman. We were able to collect a number of venusta and reviewing these and other specimens we collected from this area in February 2023, it is obvious to me that they fall into two coexisting and distinctly different forms in similar proportions.
The first of these I classify as bakeri. They are very large pink to white shells with little to no dorsal markings.
The second is a small mauve grey shell that usually has a tan brown dorsal pattern with a strong mantle line. I refer to this as "primoidea". I now believe that bakeri was the deep water venusta form resident on the Rottnest Shelf during the last ice age and that "primoidea" was the venusta form resident on the Hartog Shelf.
I believe that "primoidea" (refer to specimen offered on this Auction) has migrated south along the edge of the continental shell mixing with bakeri as water levels have risen during the current inter-glacial period. They have migrated as far south as Augusta.
The offered shell is probably the most impressive venusta we have ever collected. It is massive at 84.3mm with very impressive protruding peach gold colored siphons. The shells dorsum is a warm peachy pink and it's base is china white with gold trim. It is in very exceptional condition and one to the most perfect specimens we have collected. On close inspection the shell has a hint of dorsal growth irregularity and very minor fine nacre windows on it's columnar selvage. Fine+++/GEM-.