Notovoluta pseudolirata - Rarely Live Collected !! , (Tate, 1888)
Size
67.3 mm
Locality
Augusta, WA
Note
Pseudolirata is a relatively common volute on the outer edge of the continental shelf in depths between 150 and 250 metres of water off the lower west coast. We rarely see live specimens and over the years we have collected very few live specimens but a number of heavily damaged crabbed specimens. Unfortunately this is also the habitat of the champagne crab which is extremely powerful and highly predatory on live mollusks and hermit crabs. As the result adult pseudolirata in good condition are extremely rare and we have only ever collected a handful of specimens. It appears juvenile specimens inhabit depths between 140 metres and 180 metres but as they grow they migrate offshore into deeper water on the continental shoulder. This specimen is a good sized live collected found crawling sand among sponges in 238 metres of water south of Augusta in October 2025. It has been chomped by a crab and started to re-heal itself near the lip. With a perfect spire and nice pattern!