Laevisipho galaxaios, Mclean & Clark, 2023

Mclean, James H. & Clark, Roger N., 2023, Seven new genera and thirty-four new species of buccinoid gastropods (Neogastropoda: Buccinidae) from the Aleutian Islands, Alaska, Zootaxa 5351 (2), pp. 151-201 : 185-186

Laevisipho galaxaios n. sp.

Figure 18 A–D urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act:7FC3F92F-0EBF-4851-B71B-F92A63FC287C

Type locality: Amutka Pass, Aleutian Islands , Alaska (52°14.9 N, 171°41.88 W); 406 m. ( NMFS 94-200001 - 79 ) .

Type material: Holotype CASIZ 141123, 122.4 mm. (leg. E. Kools, 11 June, 2000, trawled, R/ V Vesteraalen) ; Paratypes: Pt 1, CASIZ 141125, 110.1 mm. Amutka Pass (52°06 N, 171°8 W), 324 m ( NMFS 94-200001 - 78 ); Pt 2, LACM 3634, 110 mm. Samalga Pass, (52°56.39 N, 169°19.58 W), 401 m ( NMFS 57-200201 - 25 ); Pt 3, RNC 4627, 115.8 mm. Samalga Pass, (52°53.78 N, 169°27.8 W), 337 m ( NMFS 143-200401 - 28 ) .

Description: Shell large (to 122 mm, holotype), fusiform; pillar straight, whorls rounded, suture impressed; uniformly whites; spiral and axial sculpture absent. Protoconch large, extended, with 2 whorls, diameter 5.4–5.6 mm. Teleconch with 4–5 whorls, first teleconch whorl extended. Mature lip thickened, but not flared, canal of moderately long, narrow.

Radula: Typical for this subfamily, Rachidian tooth broad, excavated anteriorly, bearing three small, equal-sized cusps; Lateral teeth large, tri-cuspid, cusps well-spaced, outer cusp much larger than inner two, strongly curved; central and inner cusps sub-equal, inner cusp very slightly shorter and more strongly curved than inner one.

Remarks: This species differs from L. kessleri in 1) larger size, 2) more inflated whorls, 3) uniformly white coloration, and 3) lack of any spiral sculpture.

Etymology: The name is derived from the Greek word for “milky white” rather than a latin root, reflects the solid white color of the shell.

Distribution: Central Aleutian Islands, from Amutka Pass (171°48 W) to the Islands of Four Mountains (169°53 W), at depths of 324– 406 m.

Habitat: Sand and gravel bottoms, with bottom temperatures of 3.9–4.2°C.

Figures

Figure 18. A–D. Laevisipho galaxaios n. sp.; A. Holotype, CASIZ 141123, Amutka Pass, 406 m, 122.4 mm; B. Paratype, LACM 3634, Samalga Pass, 401 m, 110 mm; C. Paratype, RNC 4627, Samalga Pass, 327 m, 115.8 mm; D. Radula, RNC 4627, bar = 200 µm; E–G. Laevisipho kessleri n. sp., E. Holotype, LACM 3586, S of Seguam Island, 147 m, 64.6 mm; F. Paratype, RNC 4519, N of Atka, 116 m, 81.0 mm; G. Radula, Paratype, USNM 1606666, bar = 200 µm.