Kermia edychroa (Hervier, 1897)

Figs 30–33

Clathurella edychroa: Hervier 1897 a: 146; 1897 b: 109, pl. 3, fig. 2; Bouge & Dautzenberg 1914: 195. Type locality: Lifou.

Clathurella edychroa var. violacea Hervier, 1897 b (non Bucquoy, Dautzenberg & Dollfus, 1883): 110. Type locality: Lifou.

Kermia edychroa (Hervier): Kay & S. Johnson 1987: 122, fig. 4U.

Pleurotoma gracilis Folin, 1879 (non Conrad, 1830, nec Scacchi, 1836): 251, pl. 8, fig. 6. Syn. n. Type locality: Andaman Is.

Mangelia anxia Hedley, 1909: 455, pl. 43, fig. 89. Syn. n. Type locality: Hope I., Great Barrier Reef, Queensland, 5–10 fath. [9–18 m].

Exomilus anxius (Hedley): Hedley 1922: 333; Powell 1966: 137.

Type material: C. edychroa: originally two syntypes in SML, one possible syntype now in MNHN (labelled “ Holotype ”), worn and lacking its apex (Fig. 30); very doubtful syntypes AMSA C.6988 (not seen). C. edychroa var. violacea: not located. P. gracilis: Holotype in BMNH (ex Macandrew coll.), 3.0× 1.1 mm. M. anxia: syntypes AMSA C.27446, 1 syntype NMWC 1955.158.912 (not seen).

Regional locality data: SOUTH AFRICA: KwaZulu-Natal: Kosi Bay, 1–4 km S of estuary, - 20–22 m (D. Herbert & K. Bloem; NMSA V2284) ; off Kosi Bay, - 23–24 m (D. Herbert & K. Bloem; NMSA S2936) ; SE of Kosi Bay, - 50 m, fine sand (Kilburn et al.; NMSA E5349) ; off Kosi Bay, - 9–17 m, stone washings (D. Herbert; NMSA D9928) ; between Kosi Bay and Bhanga Neck, - 13 m, sand (D. Herbert; NMSA S2995) ; same data but - 10–12 m, sand (D. Herbert; NMSA S2373); off Boteler Point, - 70 m, coral rubble (Kilburn et al.; NMSA E1574) ; off Island Rock, - 62 m, sand and coral debris (Kilburn et al.; NMSA E5562) ; off Leadsman Shoal, - 24–26 m, stone washings (D. Herbert & Natal Parks Board; NMSA E 2636) ; Sodwana Bay, Two-Mile Reef, - 10–15 m, stone washings (D. Herbert & R. Broker; NMSA E 734) ; off Richards Bay, - 50 m, fine sand, broken shell (CSIR Water Research; NMSA A 6102) ; off Cape St Lucia, - 76–80 m, coarse sand (Kilburn et al.; NMSA E 5692) ; SE of Mission Rocks, - 50 m, old coral rubble (Kilburn et al.; NMSA E 6297) ; off Durban Bluff, - 20–22 m, sand (R. Kilburn & R. Fregona; NMSA B 5468) ; Aliwal Shoal, off Umkomaas, - 27 m, silt between rocks (G. Smith; NMSA E 1677) . Eastern Cape: Port Grosvenor, - 82 m, worn coral nodules (Kilburn et al.; NMSA S 9578) ; off Cape Morgan Lighthouse, east of East London, approx. - 100 m, broken coral and shell (A. Connell; NMSA B 7122) .

Distribution: New Caledonia to Queensland, west to Réunion I. and south-eastern Africa, south as far as the East London area, in shallow water to about - 100 m.

Remarks: The types listed above have been examined, except for M. anxia, photographs of a syntype of which (Fig. 31) were kindly provided by D. Beechey. The protoconch of a fresh Réunion I. specimen, donated by Dr Maurice Jay, is illustrated here (Fig. 33).

K. edychroa shows some resemblance in teleoconch form to Mangelia lutaria Hedley, 1907, of New South Wales, type species of Exomilus Hedley, 1918 . In fact, M. anxia, here synonymised with K. edychroa, was included in Exomilus by Powell (1966). However, the protoconch in Exomilus lutarius, as figured by Laseron (1954: figs 251, 252), has a distinctive, cylindrical, truncate shape, without trace of diagonally cancellate sculpture.