Liotipoma solaris, Mclean, 2012

Mclean, James Hamilton, 2012, New species and genera of colloniids from Indo-Pacific coral reefs, with the definition of a new subfamily Liotipomatinae n. subfam. (Turbinoidea, Colloniidae), Zoosystema 34 (2), pp. 343-376 : 364

Liotipoma solaris n. sp.

( Figs 2E, F ; 11 ; 12 )

TYPE MATERIAL. — Holotype: LACM stn 91-188, Fiji, Diamond Seamount , E of Herald Pass, W of Ndravuni Island, inside great Astrolabe Reef , Kandavu Group, 18°45.8’S, 178°28.3’E, 20-25 m, 19.VI.1991, Twila Bratcher, from shell grit sample, ♂ shell, H 2.5, D 4.0 mm ( LACM 3107 , Fig. 11 A-D).

Paratypes: same data as holotype, 2 ♂♂ shells, H 2.1, D 3.5 mm ( LACM 3108, Fig. 11 E-H). — Papua New Guinea, Horseshoe Reef, Bootless Bay, E of Port Moresby, 8°31’20”S, 147°16’32”E, 25 m, from shell grit sample, Ken Severin, 1985, 1 ♂ shell, H 2.4, D 3.9 mm ( LACM 3109, Fig. 12 A-D)

TYPE LOCALITY. — Fiji, Diamond Seamount, E of Herald Pass, W of Ndravuni Island, inside great Astrolabe Reef.

ADDITIONAL MATERIAL. — LACM stn 85-135, Fiji, Herald Pass, W of Ndravuni Island, NW end of Great Astrolabe Reef, 20 m, in coral rubble, 18.X.1985, Antonio J. Ferreira, 2 immature, including one with wedged operculum ( LACM, Fig. 2E, F ). — LACM stn 85-138, W end of Kandavu, 19°06.5’N, 177°58’E, 18 m, 27.X.1985, Antonio J. Ferreira, 1 immature ( LACM, Fig. 12 E-G).

DISTRIBUTION. — Fiji Islands and Papua New Guinea.

ETYMOLOGY. — Latin “sol”, the sun, suggested by the minimal expansion of the final whorl in this species.

DESCRIPTION

Male shell ( Figs 11 ; 12 A-D)

Whorls 3.3; profile of moderate height for genus; with single strongly projecting peripheral keel at mid-whorl; profile below keel evenly rounded. Axial sculpture of strong ribs, 21-25 on final whorl; spinose and projecting in early whorls, becoming weaker and more closely spaced in advance of final lip. Spiral sculpture of single, low cord on shoulder; base with strong subtending cord, and two cords of nearly equal strength between shoulder cord and subtending cord.Base with shallow pits on outer side of subtending cord; umbilicus bordered by broad emergent cord, overridden by narrow axial ribs; umbilicus narrow, obstructed by massive, triangular extension of inner lip; outer edge of tongue directed toward center of umbilicus, in alignment with plane of aperture.Final lip massive, extending for ⅓ of final quarter whorl, with successively decreasing layers of deposition, with strong indentations conforming to spiral sculpture, especially on basal portion.Aperture nearly radial, plane of aperture well outside of coiling axis. H 2.5, D 4.0 mm (holotype).

Female shell

Unknown.

Operculum ( Fig. 2E, F )

With deep pit in center, about 20 wavy radial ridges, with some coalescing.

REMARKS

Liotipoma solaris n. sp. is known only from male shells with a fully formed tongue. The specimen shown in Figure 12 E-G is a male shell that is nearly ready to form the tongue. It is characterised by minimal whorl expansion and a very short, triangular tongue with a pointed tip not in alignment with the plane of the aperture.

Specimens are approximately 1 mm in diameter smaller than L. mutabilis n. sp. from Lifou, Loyalty Islands. This has fewer axial ribs than the immature holotype specimen of L. clausa n. sp. ( Fig. 13 E-H), which is also known from Fiji.

Figures

FIG. 2. — Opercula of three immature, sexually indeterminate species of Liotipoma McLean & Kiel, 2007; opercula wedged in place in all three specimens; A, B, L. wallisensis McLean & Kiel, 2007, off Wallis Island (MNHN, stn DW523), H 1.9, D 3.5 mm; C, D, inner and outer views of same operculum from immature specimen from Wallis Island, showing attached portion of columella, after breaking it free in order to show interior view; diameter of operculum 1.2 mm; E, F, L. solaris n. sp., Herald Pass, Great Astrolabe Reef, Fiji (LACM, stn 85-135), H 1.5, D 1.9 mm (SEM views of tilted specimen with operculum; apertural view is photo of coated specimen); G, Liotipoma sp., off Pointe Lefèvre, Santal Bay, Lifou, Loyalty Islands (MNHN, stn 1435), H 2.4, D 3.7 mm (specimen missing apical whorl). Scale bars: 1 mm.

FIG. 11. — Liotipoma solaris n. sp., male shells: A-D, holotype (LACM 3107, stn 91-188), Diamond Seamount, Great Astrolabe Reef, Fiji, 20-25 m, H 2.5, D 4.0 mm; E-H, paratype (LACM 3108, stn 91-188), Diamond Seamount, Great Astrolabe Reef, Fiji, 20-25 m, H 2.1, D 3.5 mm. Scale bars: 1 mm.

FIG. 12. — Liotipoma solaris n. sp., male shells: A-D, paratype (LACM 3109), Horseshoe Reef, Bootless Bay, Port Moresby, Papua New Guinea, 25 m, H 2.4, D 3.9 mm; E-G, SEM of immature male shell (LACM stn 85-138), Cape Washington, westernmost end of Kandavu, Fiji, 18 m, H 1.5, D 3.3 mm. Scale bars: 1 mm.

FIG. 13.— A-D, Liotipoma splendida n. sp.holotype,male shell (MNHN 24772,stn 1269), Doiman Reef,Touhou Sector,New Caledonia, 15-20 m, H 3.2, D 5.1 mm; E-H, Liotipoma clausa n. sp. Holotype, immature male shell (LACM 3110, stn 91-189), Herald Pass, Great Astrolabe Reef, Fiji, 15 m, H 3.0, D 4.2 mm. Scale bars: 1 mm.