Tricolia capensis (Dunker, 1846)

Phasianella capensis Dunker, 1846: 110 . Krauss, 1848: 104, pl. 6, fig. 5. Bartsch, 1915: 145. Type loc.: ‘ Prom. bon. spei ’ [Cape of Good Hope]; 30 syntypes in ZMB (108.794).

Phasianella africana Bartsch, 1915: 145, pl. 10, fig. 2. Turton, 1932: 174, no. 1235. Type loc.: Port Alfred, E. Cape; holotype in USNM (186870).

Phasianella rufanensis Turton, 1932: 174, pl. 41, no. 1232. Type loc.: Port Alfred, E. Cape; holotype in OXUM (M002778).

Phasianella rufanensis adjacens Turton, 1932: 174, pl. 41, no. 1233. Type loc.: Port Alfred, E. Cape; holotype in OXUM (M002779).

Phasianella farquhari Turton, 1932: 174, pl. 41, no. 1234. Type loc.: Port Alfred, E. Cape; holotype in OXUM (M002780).

Tricolia capensis — Grindley & Kensley, 1966: 11. Day, 1969: 158 (in part). Kensley, 1973: 52, fig. 143. Kensley, 1977: 190, fig. 1 (Pliocene). Kensley & Penrith, 1980: 211. Kilburn & Rippey, 1982: 42 (in part, includes T. kochii (Philippi, 1848)), pl. 9, fig. 7b [not 7a = Tricolia kochii]. Robertson, 1985: 21. Branch et al., 2010: 180, fig. 79.8, 79.8a. Nangammbi, 2010: 105, figs 2.24–2.27. Marais, 2011: 51. Nangammbi et al. in press.

Tricolia africana — Nangammbi, 2010: 98, figs 2.20–2.23. Nangammbi et al. in press (= capensis).

Not Tricolia capensis —Steyn & Lussi,1998: 28, fig. 93 [= Tricolia kochii (Philippi, 1848)].

Not Phasianella capensis — Deshayes, 1863: 76. Viader, 1937: 54 [?= Phasianella solida Born, 1878].

Distribution. Southern and Atlantic Cape coast, from southern Transkei (Qora River) to the Namibia-Angola border (Kensley & Penrith 1980); intertidal.

Notes. Molecular studies have shown that, although morphologically distinct, T. africana and T. capensis cannot be distinguished from a genetic perspective (Nangammbi et al. in press). In all probability they are warmtemperate ( africana) and cold-temperate ( capensis) ecomorphs of a single species. Shells of somewhat intermediate appearance occur on either side of Cape Agulhas. Records from the Mascarene Islands and Japan were based on misidentified and mislocalised material respectively (Robertson 1985).