Shell small, thin, ovate, moderately conical, often much eroded; colour very variable, generally greenish or cream, flamed and articulated with brown, frequently rayed with dark brown bands in the form of a cross. The surface is delicately ornamented with microscopic radial striae and concentric lines of growth; apex situated at about the anterior third. Interior exhibiting much variation in colour; may be bluish, brown, yellow or creamy with a blackish, border; spatula light to dark brown more often the latter. Size: 0,5 inch.

Tectura scabrilirata: Shell small, oval, depressed; extremely variable in colour, may be yellowish, brown, greenish or in some cases creamy white or nearly black and frequently rayed with dark brown bands; apex situated at about the anterior fourth, and in occasional juvenile examples very forward almost at the anterior margin; posterior slope arched, anterior slope slightly concave. Surface ornamented with fine microscopic radiating striae, very often obsolete. Interior bluish white, margin acute; dark brown, spatula more or less brown. Size: 0,5 inch.

Description: Shell lightweight, low to medium in height, posterior slope convex, anterior slope slightly concave; widest centrally or posteriorly; apex slightly to markedly in front of centre. External sculpture of about 50-100 microscopic, widely spaced radial threads, sometimes nodulose and occasionally superimposed on broad, low radial folds. External colour variable; background of cream, fawn, dark green or black, with a superimposed pattern of rays or reticulate dots. Interior colouration similarly variable; adult shells with dark spatula, black or brown margin and blue-white zone between; juveniles with external colouration showing through.
Size: Up to 24 mm in length, commonly 10-15 mm.
Distribution: Endemic to Australia: Sydney, NSW, to Perth, WA, including Tasmania.
Habitat: On protected rocky shores in the lower littoral, often on the sides of or under boulders. Uncommon in NSW, common in southern Australia.
Comparison: Readily separated from the other NSW limpets by the microscopic radial threads.
Synonymy: Acmaea scabrilirata Angas, 1865; Acmaea subundulata Angas, 1865; Notoacmea flammea diminuta Iredale, 1924
Remarks: The fine radial threads are seen only with magnification. They are only seen on un-corroded shells, which are a minority of the population.

This is a variable species with a wide distribution from southern Western Australia to southern Queensland and has been divided into a number of subspecies. These latter have not been clearly marked out in terms of modern nomenclature so for the present only one species is recognized here. To add to the confusion another limpet Notoacmea granulosa Macpherson, 1954 (p. 51) has been mistaken for this species.

Tectura scabrilirata: The depressed nature of this little shell with its fine radial microscopic striae and characteristic colouring are features which will identify it.

Tectura scabrilirata: Victoria (Australia). Recorded also in Tasmania and South Australia.