Babelomurex yamatoensis Kosuge, 1986

Oliverio, Marco, 2008, Coralliophilinae (Neogastropoda: Muricidae) from the southwest Pacific, Mémoires du Muséum national d'Histoire naturelle 196, pp. 481-586 : 520-522

Babelomurex yamatoensis Kosuge, 1986

Figs 52-58, 169, 209, 210

Babelomurex yamatoensis Kosuge, 1986c: 70 , pl. 28, figs 1-5, pl. 29, fig. 1.

TYPE MATERIAL. — Holotype IMT 86-3 [not seen], figured by Kosuge 1986c (pl. 28, fig. 1) along with a paratype (figs 2, 4).

TYPE LOCALITY. — South China Sea.

MATERIAL EXAMINED. — (Protoconch present, planktrotrophic) 295-334 m, 1 dd.

Philippines. Panglao, Bohol, tangle net in 40-80 m, 1 lv and 2 dd, (Protoconch not present)

obtained from a dealer ( MO, unpublished). North of New Caledonia. SMIB 6: stn DW 120, Grand Passage, New Caledonia proper. MUSORSTOM 4: stn DW 210, 22°44’S, 18°58’S, 163°26’E, 310-325 m, 1 dd; stn DW 123, 18° 57°S, 167°09’E, 340-345 m, 1 dd. 163°25’E, 330-360 m, 1 dd.

Norfolk Ridge. CHALCAL 2: stn DW 71, 24°42’S, 168°10’E, 230 Norfolk Ridge . SMIB 3: stn DW 8, 24°45’S, 168°08’E, 233 m, m, 2 dd . — SMIB 3: stn DW 8, 24°45’S, 168°08’E, 233 m, 1 dd; 1 dd. — SMIB 4: stn DW 40, 24°46’S, 168°09’E, 240-260 m, 1 stn DW 18, 23°42’S, 167°59’E, 338 m, 1 dd (Figs 55, 56). — SMIB dd; stn DW 41, 24°44’S, 168°09’E, 230-235 m, 2 dd; stn DW 8: stn CP 162, 24°47’S, 168°09’ E, 254- 234 m, 1 dd (Fig. 210). — 48, 24°46’S, 168°09’E, 240-245 m, 1 dd; stn DW 49, 24°46’S, NORFOLK 1: stn DW 1651, Banc N, 23°27’S, 167°50’E, 276-350 168°09’E, 240-300 m, 1 dd; stn DW 71, 24°42’S, 168°10’E, 230 m, 1dd; stn DW 1658, 23°26’S, 167°50’E, 320-336 m, 5 dd (Figs m, 1 dd. — SMIB 8: stn DW 159, 24°46’S, 168°08’E, 241-245 m, 1 57, 58); stn CP 1672, Banc Jumeau Ouest , 23°43’S, 168°01’E, dd; stn CP 162, 24°47’S, 168°08’E, 254-264 m, 1 lv . — CHALCAL 267-324 m, 1 dd; stn CP 1681, Banc Kaimon-Maru , 24°44’S, 2: stn DW 71, 24°42’S, 168°10’E, 230 m, 2 dd . — NORFOLK 1: 168°10’E, 228-240 m, 1 dd. stn DW 1653, 23°28’S, 167°51’E, 328-340 m, 1 dd .

Loyalty Ridge. VOLSMAR: stn DW 41, 22°19’S, 168°41’E, 195- Loyalty Ridge. MUSORSTOM 6: stn DW 446, 20°54’S, 167°19’E, 250 m, 2 dd (Figs 169, 209). — MUSORSTOM 6: stn DW 474, 360 m, 1 dd; stn DW 475, 21°09’S, 167°55’E, 236 m, 1 dd (Figs 21°09’S, 167°55’E, 260 m, 1 dd. 52-54).

Vanuatu. MUSORSTOM 8: stn DW 967, 20°19’S, 169°53’E,

DISTRIBUTION. — From Wakayama Prefecture, Japan ( Kosuge 1986d: pl. 28, figs 3, 5), to the South China Sea and the Philippines. New Caledonia, Loyalty Ridge, Norfolk Ridge and Vanuatu, live in 254-264 m (found live at shallower depth in the Philippines, 40-80 m), empty shells in 230-340 m. Range extension to southwest Pacific .

REMARKS. — According to Kosuge (1986d), four nominal species are included in the Babelomurex deburghiae group: Babelomurex deburghiae (Reeve, 1857) , B. hirasei ( Shikama, 1964) , B. cariniferoides (Shikama, 1966) and B. yamatoensis Kosuge, 1986 (other species have also been described that are close to B. cariniferoides : see below). Distinguishing among these nominal species is primarily based on the larval shell (multispiral with planktotrophic development in B. cariniferoides and B. yamatoensis , paucispiral, possibly with lecithotrophic development in B. deburghiae and B. hirasei ) and on the spiral cords above the shoulder (12-14 and fine in B. yamatoensis , 5-6 and coarse in B. cariniferoides , more than 12 in B. deburghiae , 8-11 in B. hirasei ). Additionally, B. latipinnatus (Azuma, 1961) is distinguished from B. hirasei by its very broad and flattened spines on the shoulder, and the numerous very finely scabrous cords. Specimens of B. latipinnatus from the Philippines and the southern China Sea (pers. obs.) have a multispiral protoconch of the

FIGS 52-60. Teleoconchs of Babelomurex . 52-58, B. yamatoensis Kosuge,1986 . 52-54, MUSORSTOM 6 stn DW 475,H 19.5 mm; 55, 56, SMIB 3 stn DW 18, H 22.5 mm; 57, 58, NORFOLK 1 stn DW 1658, H 16 mm. 59, B. cariniferoides (Shikama, 1966) , LAGON stn 572, H 18.1 mm. 60, B. memimarumai Kosuge, 1985 , LAGON stn DW 538, H 32.2 mm.

planktotrophic type. Separation of extreme specimens of B. deburghiae and B. hirasei is relatively easy ( B. deburghiae also having a more elevated spire) but to definitively assess their specific status will require markers independent of morphology (especially in intermediate individuals). Furthermore, the protoconch is lacking in most specimens (including the types of several of the taxa involved) and the separation of B. deburghiae from B. yamatoensis is not always possible. The relatively few shells with intact or at least useful protoconchs among the present material all exhibit a planktotrophic type larval shell. In most cases this was associated with fine spiral sculpture and a relatively low spire, indicating (in Kosuge’s scheme) that they are B. yamatoensis .