Favartia (Favartia) tantelyi, Houart & Héros, 2013

Houart, Roland & Héros, Virginie, 2013, Description of new Muricidae (Mollusca: Gastropoda) collected during the ATIMO VATAE expedition to Madagascar “ Deep South ”, Zoosystema 35 (4), pp. 503-523 : 514-516

Favartia (Favartia) tantelyi n. sp. ( Figs 1D ; 5 H-K)

TYPE MATERIAL. — Holotype MNHN 26515 and 2 paratypes MNHN 26516 and 26517.

TYPE LOCALITY. — South Madagascar, sector of Lavanono, 25°26.8’S, 44°54.9’E, 27 m ( ATIMO VATAE: stn BS 03).

MATERIAL EXAMINED. — ATIMO VATAE: stn BS03, secteur de Lavanono, 25°26.4’S, 44°56.1’E, 14-18 m, 1 lv, juv (holotype MNHN 26515 sequenced as IM- 2009-22474 BOLD ID BOMGA 002-13, GenBank accession number for COI gene KC 860502 ). — Stn BV08, secteur de Lavanono, 25°26.8’S, 44°54.9’E, 27 m, 1 dd (paratype MNHN 26516). — Stn BS12, Rocher de l’Albatros, 25°28.6’S, 44°56.8’E, 12 m, 1 dd (paratype MNHN 26517).

DISTRIBUTION. — South Madagascar, shells in 12- 27 m.

ETYMOLOGY.— This species is named after Tantely Tianarisoa, of the Madagascar bureau of the Wildlife Conservation Society in Tananarive.Tantely was a member of the ATIMO VATAE expedition, taking part in the field work and databasing the coordinates and characteristics of the sampling stations.

DESCRIPTION

Shell small for the subgenus, up to 15.7 mm in height (paratype MNHN). Height/width ratio 1.5-1.6, biconical, broadly ovate, heavy, nodose. Subsutural ramp broad, strongly sloping, weakly concave. Shell entirely white. Aperture light peach.

Spire high with five broad, weakly shouldered, nodose whorls. Suture adpressed. Protoconch of 1.45 rounded whorls; width 700 µm, height 600 µm.

Axial sculpture of teleoconch whorls consisting of strong, broad, rounded, nodose, moderately high varices. First whorl with eroded varices. Second whorl to penultimate whorl with six varices, last whorl with four or five varices connected preceding whorl. Varices weakly squamous abaperturally, adaperturally with narrow, deep pits between each pair of cords. Spiral sculpture of high, strong, broad primary cords, more apparent on axial varices. First whorl with broad P1 and P2, second and third whorl with narrow IP and broad P1 and P2, penultimate whorl with narrow IP, broad P1 and P2, P3 broadly covered by following whorl and by its axial varices. Last whorl with narrow IP, P1-P5 and narrow, almost obsolete P6 and ADP. P1 narrow, P2 and P3 broadest, P4 and P5 weakly narrower.

Aperture moderately large, ovate. Columellar lip narrow, smooth, rim partially erect, adherent at adapical extremity. Anal notch shallow, broad. Outer lip weakly erect, with six weak, elongate, narrow lirae within corresponding to D1-D6, D4- D6 most obvious. Siphonal canal short, narrow, strongly dorsally recurved at tip, narrowly open.

Operculum and radula unknown.

REMARKS

Favartia (Favartia) tantelyi n. sp is clearly part of a group of species with solid, heavy shells including F. (F.) brevicula (Sowerby, 1834) , F. (F.) minatauros Radwin & D’Attilio, 1976 , F. (F.) tetragona (Broderip, 1833) , F. (F.) eastorum Houart, 1998 and F. (F.) confusa (Brazier, 1877) . From these, two species have three varices on the last teleoconch whorl: F. (F.) minatauros and F. (F.) tetragona . They also differ in having somewhat higher and broader varices. They do not need to be compared further here.

Favartia (F.) brevicula ( Fig. 5M, N ), a species occurring throughout the Indo-West Pacific, differs in having a comparatively larger, broader shell with more strongly shouldered teleoconch whorls, a less sloping shoulder ramp, higher varices and a more rounded aperture.

Favartia (F.) confusa ( Fig. 6A ) from Queensland, Australia, differs in having a comparatively larger shell with more squamous varices, a less sloping shoulder ramp, relatively narrower spiral primary cords and a longer siphonal canal with the variceal wings almost extending to its tip.

Favartia (F.) eastorum ( Fig. 5L ) was described from Peak Island, Western Australia, and has not more recorded since. It resembles the new species but is distinctive in having a slightly higher and narrower shell with a less sloping shoulder ramp, a comparatively narrower aperture, a broader siphonal canal and slightly higher and narrower varices.

The holotype is not the best specimen but it has been chosen as the name-bearing type because it is associated with a molecular sequence.

Figures

FIG. 1. — Distribution of the six new species described herein: A, Chicoreus (Triplex) kantori n. sp.; B, Naquetia manwaii n. sp.; C, Dermomurex (Dermomurex) charlesi n. sp.; D, Favartia (Favartia) tantelyi n. sp.;E, Favartia (Pygmaepterys) fournierae n. sp.; F, Semiricinula bozzettii n. sp. Symbols: Ê, type locality; £, other occurences.

FIG. 5. — A-C, Dermomurex (D.) charlesi n. sp.; A, B, holotype MNHN 26511, 11.6 mm; C, paratype MNHN 2651, 8.2 mm; D, E, Dermomurex (D.) goldsteini (Tenison-Woods, 1876), Gerringong, S. NSW, Australia, 15.8 mm, RH; F, G, Dermomurex (D.) agnesae Vokes, 1995, holotype WAM 209-94, 13.9 mm (photo courtesy E. H. Vokes; scan of a white and black photograph); H-K, Favartia (F.) tantelyi n. sp.; H, I, holotype MNHN 26515, 8.1 mm; J, K, paratype MNHN 26516, 15.7 mm; L, Favartia (F.) eastorum Houart, 1998, Peak Id, N. of Exmouth Gulf, W. Australia, 18.7 mm, paratype RH; M, N, Favartia (F.) brevicula (Sowerby, 1864), Mauritius, 30.8 mm, coll. RH.

FIG. 6.— A, Favartia (F.) confusa (Brazier,1877),holotype AMS C077183,26.8 mm (scan of a white and black photograph);B-E, Favartia (Pygmaepterys) fournierae n.sp.; B, C, holotype MNHN 26518,10.2 mm;D, E, paratype MNHN 26519,8.4 mm;F, Favartia (Pygmaepterys) cracentis (Houart,1996),holotype RMNH 57153,11.8 mm (scan of black and white photograph); G, H, Favartia (Pygmaepterys) menoui (Houart, 1990), eastern New Caledonia, holotype MNHN 0193, 7 mm; I-N, Semiricinula bozzettii n. sp.; I, J, paratype MNHN 26524, 16 mm; K, paratype MNHN 26528, 17.2 mm; L, M, holotype MNHN 26522, 10.3 mm; N, apertural denticles, paratype MNHN 26525. Abbreviations: see Material and methods. Scale bar: N, 2 mm.