Leptochiton laurae Schwabe & Sellanes, 2010

Sirenko, Boris, 2023, A small collection of rare and new chitons (Mollusca: Polyplacophora) from the Tasmanian Museum and Art Gallery, Zootaxa 5325 (3), pp. 359-392 : 360

Leptochiton laurae Schwabe & Sellanes, 2010

( Figures 1–3 )

Leptochiton cf. sykesi Sirenko & Gallardo 2005: 89 [non Leptochiton sykesi (Sowerby III, 1903) ]

Leptochiton laurae Schwabe & Sellanes 2010: 37–41 , figs. 1J, 4, 5A–D; Sirenko 2015: 161 , figs. 8A–C, 9–16; Sirenko & Sellanes 2016: 264 , figs. 1E, 9–11.

Leptochiton cf. laurae ; Sirenko 2020: 417 , figs. 18–21, 44G, H.

Type material. Holotype ( ZSM Mol 20070760).

Type locality. Chile, off Concepcion , 36º22.19’S, 73º43.36’W, 846 m.

Material examined. Southern Ocean , Heard Island, 52.5969°S, 71.9952°E, Locality HIMI-Aurora Bank, 310 m, cruise SC 26, Mol 37, benthic sled, 6 spms, BL 10.0– 14.5 mm, ( TMAG, E 26178 ), 01.05.2003 .

Distribution. Off Chile, from 34.5°S to the Magellan Strait and Beagle Channel, South Orkney, South Shetland, Kerguelen, Heard and Crozet Islands, south western Australia and New Zealand, 88–1210 m ( Sirenko 2020).

Remarks. The studied specimen (TMAG E 26178) has BL 11.0 mm and 10 gills per side arranged from valve VII to anus, and a 4.3 mm long radula with 57 transverse rows of mature teeth. Like specimens of this species living off the South Shetland Islands ( Sirenko 2015), the Australian specimens I studied ( Sirenko 2020) have smooth dorsal scales, which in my opinion is intraspecific variability. Leptochiton laurae belongs to the group of L. sykesi ( Sirenko 2020) .

Figures

FIGURE 1. Leptochiton laurae, South Ocean, Heard Island (TMAG, E 26178), BL 11.0 mm: A. Valve I, dorsal view; B. Valve II, dorsal view; C. Valve V, dorsal view; D. Valve VIII, dorsal view; E. Valve V, detail of tegmentum in central area; F. Valve V, rostral view; G. Valve VIII, lateral view.

FIGURE 2. Leptochiton laurae, South Ocean, Heard Island (TMAG, E 26178), BL 11.0 mm: A, D. Ventral scales and marginal needles; B. Dorsal scales and marginal needles; C. Dorsal scales and needles near suture.

FIGURE 3. Leptochiton laurae, South Ocean, Heard Island (TMAG, E 26178), BL 11.0 mm: A-C. Radula, central part; D. head of major lateral tooth of radula.