Funafutia Glover & Taylor, 2001

Glover, Emily A. & Taylor, John D., 2007, Diversity of chemosymbiotic bivalves on coral reefs: Lucinidae (Mollusca, Bivalvia) of New Caledonia and Lifou, Zoosystema 29 (1), pp. 109-181 : 166-168

Genus Funafutia Glover & Taylor, 2001

Funafutia Glover & Taylor, 2001: 286 .

TYPE SPECIES. — Lucina levukana Smith, 1885 (original designation).

DIAGNOSIS. — Shells small, inflated, anteriorly extended. Sculpture of prominent commarginal lamellae with finely striated interspaces, shell surface finely punctate. Umbones prominent, lunule lanceolate, impressed. Ligament internal, short, triangular.Two cardinal teeth in left valve, one in right valve; anterior and posterior lateral teeth prominent in both valves. Pallial line discontinous. Shell margin finely crenulate.

REMARKS

This genus is distinguished from others with an internal ligament by the anteriorly extended shell, the prominent, rounded, commarginal lamellae and the strong anterior and posterior lateral teeth in both valves. On the basis of the shared character of the oblique internal ligament, we included Funafutia along with Pillucina , Wallucina and Chavania as a possible monophyletic clade ( Glover & Taylor 2001). However, molecular data (Taylor & Glover unpublished) suggests that Funafutia is unrelated to these other genera.

Funafutia levukana ( Smith, 1885) ( Figs 34E ; 37 )

Lucina levukana Smith, 1885: 181 , pl. 13, fig. 6.

Lucina (Codakia) oblonga Hedley, 1899: 497 , fig. 51.

Lucina funafutica Finlay, 1927: 529 .

Funafutia levukana – Glover & Taylor 2001: 286, fig. 22a-d.

TYPE MATERIAL. — L. levukana : 2 syntypes, decayed ( BMNH 1887.2.9.2778).

Lucina oblonga : Funafuti, 2 syntypes ( AMS C.6157).

TYPE LOCALITY. — Levuka, Fiji.

MATERIAL EXAMINED. — Koumac. 9 stn, 10-20 m, 38 v, 33 live.

Touho. 8 stn, 0-35 m, 80 v, 14 live.

Lifou. 33 stn, 0-30 m, 480 v, 81 live.

Other New Caledonia. LAGON, stn 251, secteur de

Nouméa, 22°19’S, 166°25’E, 20 m, 1 sh.

DISTRIBUTION. —?Red Sea, western Indian Ocean to West Pacific, Tuvalu, Wallis Islands, Marquesas.

DESCRIPTION

Small, white, yellow or pink, H to 6 mm, longer than high (H/L 0.89) and extended anteriorly, robust, inflated. Protoconch inflated (L 160 µm), PI smooth, 88 µm, PII with growth increments. Sculpture of prominent, rounded, regularly spaced commarginal lamellae that are often abraded. Surface of shell and lamellae with fine increments divided by lines of pits about 2.0 µm in diameter ( Fig. 37F ). Numerous fine radial folds within interspaces. Lunule long, lanceolate and impressed; umbonal area prominent. RV with large, single cardinal tooth and prominent posterior and anterior lateral teeth. LV with two cardinal teeth and two anterior and posterior lateral teeth. Ligament internal, with short, narrow, triangular resilifer. Anterior adductor scar short and rounded, barely detached from the pallial line, posterior scar ovate. Pallial line discontinuous. Shell margin outside the pallial line finely and evenly crenulate.

REMARKS

Lucina crosseana Issel, 1869 (p. 255, pl. 3, fig. 3) described from Pleistocene deposits of the Red Sea is possibly an earlier name for this species, but the type material has not been located. Zuschin & Oliver (2003: 109, pl. 25, figs 12-15) illustrate Funafutia cf. crosseana from the northern Red Sea. This is very similar to F. levukana but further work is needed to establish if it is conspecific.

Figures

FIG. 34. — Outline drawings of interiors of right valves of Pillucina Pilsbry, 1921, Wallucina Iredale, 1930, Chavania Glover & Taylor, 2001 and Funafutia Glover & Taylor, 2001 species: A, W. fijiensis (Smith, 1885); B, C. striata (Tokunaga, 1906); C, P. pacifica Glover & Taylor, 2001; D, P. copiosa n. sp.; E, F. levukana (Smith, 1885). Not to scale.

FIG. 37. — Funafutia levukana (Smith, 1885), Lifou, stn 1444, Loyalty Islands (MNHN): A, B, exterior of left valve; C, D, interior of left and right valves; E, protoconch; F, detail of shell surface. Scale bars: A-D, 1.0 mm; E, 100 µm; F, 30 µm.