A note on Lamellaria mauritiana (Gastropoda Prosobranchia) in South Africa

The species of the mainly tropical prosobranch genus Lamellaria Montagu, 1815, are characterized by fragile internal shells. They are known to feed on ascidians and usually are camouflaged to resemble their prey and kindred backgrounds. Along the southern and eastern coasts of Africa about half a dozen species of Lamellaria occur from the intertidal zone to as deep as 1780 fathoms. In 1901 E. A. SMITH (1901, p. 108, repeated 1903, p. 384) introduced Lamellaria mauritiana (Bergh, 1853) to the South African fauna basing his record on a large shell from Port Elizabeth. BARNARD (1963, p. 58) rejected its inclusion in the list, writing that it “is most unlikely that an example—shell without animal—of this Mauritian species came to Port Elizabeth except by human agency”. Unfortunately he overlooked the apparent existence of a large species on the subtropical shores of Natal, occurring as far south as East London and possibly occasionally even Port Elizabeth.