Cymbiola palawanica

With three finely tented, crimson bands the “Palawan Volute” is a magnificently colourful volutid endemic to the western Philippines, ranging from Palawan Island to Cuyo Islands. Originally considered to be a form of Cymbiola aulica (Sowerby I, 1825), it was recognised as a distinct species following detailed study of the C. aulica complex in Philippines and surrounding areas. The consistently weak shoulder nodules, typically smaller size, and the characteristically intense colour pattern together distinguishes it from C. aulica as well as the closely related C. malayensis Douté & Bail, 2000. A carnivorous gastropod like other volutids, it inhabits soft bottoms of coral reefs in rather shallow water down to about 30 m deep and is an uncommon species. The shell is normally two-toned with a light red base colour overlaid by crimson bands and blotches, but some specimens have additional black patches (shown). Such specimens are predominantly found in Cuyo Islands (often called ‘Cuyo form’ or ‘form cuyo’) and are highly sought-after by collectors. Typical shell length around 80 mm, very large specimens may exceed 110 mm. – Adapted from Chong Chen’s post