Chicoreus (Triplex) nobilis Shikama, 1977

Houart, Roland & Héros, Virginie, 2008, Muricidae (Mollusca: Gastropoda) from Fiji and Tonga, Mémoires du Muséum national d'Histoire naturelle 196, pp. 437-480 : 443-445

Chicoreus (Triplex) nobilis Shikama, 1977

Fig. 1I

Chicoreus (Triplex) nobilis Shikama, 1977: 14 , pl. 2, fig. 9, pl. 5, fig. 1.

Other references:

Chicoreus aculeatus - Cernohorsky 1967: 117, pl. 14, fig. 5, text fig. 1 (non M. aculeatus Lamarck, 1822 ).

Chicoreus (Triplex) nobilis - Houart 1992: 100, figs 55, 110-111, 137, 202, 208-210, 211, 251.

MATERIAL EXAMINED. — Fiji. SUVA 2: stn DW 62, 17°48’S, 177°13’E, 32 m, 1 dd . — SUVA 4: stn DW08, 18°22’S, 178°02’E, 28-

30 m, 8 lv & dd juv; stn DW 22, 18°27’S, 177°59’E, 32-36 m, 1 lv juv; stn DW 26, 18°24’S, 178°05’E, 42-43 m, 1 dd (Fig. 1I).

DISTRIBUTION. — Western Pacific : Taiwan, the Philippines, Papua New Guinea, the Coral Sea, New Caledonia and Fiji, live in 28-32 m, shells in 30-42 m.

REMARKS. — The Fiji specimens have spineless teleoconch whorls although other shell characters are identical to the typical form of Chicoreus nobilis . A specimen from Fiji was illustrated previously by Houart (1992: 101, fig. 210). Chicoreus nobilis is included in a group of small species (20-53 mm) with short varical, frondose spines. It differs from the other species in having 2 or 3 frondose, adaperturally recurved spines on the abapical end of the siphonal canal.