Diagnosis
Equivalve, medium-sized, comparatively inflated, oval Lioconcha species; overall shell colour predominantly white, chestnut brown to tan markings; colour pattern consisting of fine net-like pattern; internal surface white.

Description of holotype
Shell equivalve, sub-ovate, thick, solid and inflated, glossy. Umbones low, slightly prosogyrate, white. Escutcheon indistinct, ligament deeply sunken. Lunule heart-shaped, delineated by fine incised line. Lunule two-thirds white, one-third below umbo brown. Sculpture smooth, with three growth lines. At posterior extremity numerous fine concentric ridges, hardly visible at anterior side. Colour variable externally, in general white with numerous dark brown to tan zigzag or chevron markings forming fine netlike pattern. Shell internally white. Hinge heterodont, nearly identical to L. castrensis. Pallial line entire, almost without sinus.

Variability
A rather uniform species (paratypes and other material studied). Some adult specimens can have a somewhat darker brown patter
Distribution
Northwest Indian Ocean, between Israel and Oman, maybe including East Africa

Remarks
We have studied specimens from the Comoros, the Seychelles, and Mauritius. These specimens seem to represent this new species, but differ in their much less dense colour pattern and yellowish internal shell surface.

length height width
holotype 28.7 mm 26.6 mm 19.2 mm
paratype 35.6 mm 30.6 mm 23.3 mm
paratype 27.0 mm 23.6 mm 16.5 mm
largest specimen 48.9 mm 47.3 mm 32.5 mm