Pleuroploca australasia

Tulip shell
Pleuroploca australasia
Pleuroploca australasia, 1 of 2. Chain of Bays, SA, Photo: Andrew Green
Pleuroploca australasia
Pleuroploca australasia, 2 of 2. Chain of Bays, SA, Photo: Andrew Green
Pleuroploca australasia
Pleuroploca australasia, 1 of 2. Hobart, TAS, Photo: Andrew Green
Pleuroploca australasia
Pleuroploca australasia, 2 of 2. Hobart, TAS, Photo: Andrew Green
Pleuroploca australasia
Pleuroploca australasia, Eating introduced screw shell, TAS, Photo: Rick Stuart-Smith
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Pleuroploca australasia
Pleuroploca australasia
Pleuroploca australasia
Pleuroploca australasia
Pleuroploca australasia

Distribution

Temperate Australasia


Description

The shell is large, with prominent nodules on the shoulders and a dark brown periostracum, and varies considerably between sites. The species is generally found in crevices on reefs during the day, but moves onto sand in search of invertebrate prey at night.


Information

Max Size: 15 cm

Sea Temperature Range: 11.1-22.1°C

Depth: N/A

Habitat Generalization Index: N/A

Also referred to as the SGI (Species Generalisation Index), this describes the habitat niche breadth of the species. Species with values less than 15 are found in a relatively narrow range of reef habitat types (specialists), while those over 25 may be found on most hard substrates within their range (generalists). Learn more here.


Conservation and Rarity

IUCN Status: Not Evaluated

Occurrence: Common (26.8% of sites)

Occurrence describes how often the species is found on surveys within its distribution. It is calculated as the % of reef sites surveyed by RLS divers across all the ecoregions in which the species has been observed

Abundance: Few (2 per transect)

Abundance is calculated as the average number of individuals recorded per RLS transect, where present.


Edit by: GJ Edgar. 2008. Australian Marine Life. New Holland, Sydney