The Imperial volute aptly named with its beautiful pattern, large size and long spike on the shoulders. Closely resembling its sister species the noble volute where in the Philippine its range crosses with the major difference is the latter lacks the shoulder spines.
The imperialis is extremely variable in pattern, size and shoulder spine length and number even within it’s limited range in the Sulu Seas. Giant specimens may reach a foot long (30cm) but these specimens normally do not have the thickened adult lip and seems to have something of a growth defect that keeps them growing throughout it’s life. Normal specimens usually attain between 100~200mm. There is a form which is famously known as the Robinson’s volute with the axial lines that do not cross to form tenting patterns.
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