A Field Guide to the Snails of Lord Howe Island

65 Genus Goweroconcha Iredale, 1944 Shell. Size: H = 1.9-5.3 mm, D = 4.2-11 mm. Colour: Pale golden brown to dark reddish-brown with zigzagging cream-coloured flammulations. Shape: Discoidal with a flat to slightly sunken spire; whorls rounded, sometimes slightly flattened or angulate on last whorl; sutures impressed. Sculpture: Protoconch with reticulate sculpture formed from radial and spiral threads, sometimes forming pits; teleoconch with prominent, sinuous, moderately closely to widely spaced radial ribs, microradial threads and low microspiral cords. Aperture: Roundly lunate, sometimes with upper or lower edge flattened. Umbilicus: Widely open. Animal. Cream to dark grey, head pink, with dark grey to black eyestalks and two dark bands leading from eyestalks along neck. Habitat and occurrence. Found in rainforest and moist woodland, under logs or dead palm fronds in litter. Remarks. Larger than Charopella , Gyropena , Pulcharopa and Diphyoropa . Differs from Hedleyoconcha in its rounded periphery and flat to sunken spire. Differs from Mystivagor and Pseudocharopa in its flat to sunken spire, less rapidly descending and/or expanding last whorl and widely open umbilicus. Appears to contain two as yet unnamed species, both from the southern mountains. An unnamed Goweroconcha species (left) and the sympatric G. wilsoni ( right) on the summit of Mt Gower. Image: C. Stehn.