Amalda mucronata

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This is a fossilized shell belonging to the marine snail Amalda mucronata, discovered in the cliffs at Castlecliff Beach. The Wanganui series, specifically the Castlecliffian period, dates back approximately 1.63 to 0.34 million years ago. Amalda is a genus of olive shells that thrives in the Southern Hemisphere, boasting an impressive diversity and an extensive fossil record in New Zealand. Among these species, A. mucronata stands out as one of the largest currently found in New Zealand. Typically, individuals of this species reside in benthic sediments, partially buried beneath the sediment so their long siphons remain visible above the surface. When its foot is not retracted, it engulfs nearly its entire shell, as noted by Felix Vaux (http://www.massey.ac.nz/~strewick/Felix.htm).