Babelomurex fusiformis ( Martens, 1902 )

Oliverio, Marco, 2009, Diversity of Coralliophilinae (Mollusca, Neogastropoda, Muricidae) at Austral Islands (South Pacific), Zoosystema 31 (4), pp. 759-789 : 778-779

Babelomurex fusiformis ( Martens, 1902) ( Figs 9C, D ; 12D )

Rapana (Latiaxis) fusiformis Martens, 1902: 96 , 97, pl. 3, fig. 1.

Latiaxis helenae Azuma, 1973: 231 , fig. 1.

Latiaxis nakamigawai io Kilburn, 1974: 201, fig. 12a.

TYPE MATERIAL. — Rapana (Latiaxis) fusiformis : holotype ( ZMB 61037; figured by Kosuge & Suzuki [1985: pl. 28, fig. 7]) .

Latiaxis helenae : holotype (Azuma coll. no. 15944; not examined).

Latiaxis nakamigawai io: holotype ( NM A989 ; figured by Kosuge & Suzuki [1985: pl. 28, fig. 6]) .

TYPE LOCALITY. — Rapana (Latiaxis) fusiformis : “Ost-Afrika”, “Valdivia” [Expedition], “Stat. [no.] 254, 974 m ”, south of Brawa (0°29’S, 42°47’E), Somalia.

Latiaxis helenae : 50 miles off Inhaca Islands, S. Mozambique Channel, 494 m [270 fms].

Latiaxis nakamigawai io: Off Durban, South Africa, in 150 fathoms [274.3 m].

MATERIAL EXAMINED. — The type material of Rapana (Latiaxis) fusiformis and Latiaxis . nakamigawai io and: BENTHAUS, stn DW 1999, North coast of Rurutu, 22°25.1’S, 151°22.1’W, 270-500 m, 1 dd ( Figs 9C, D ; 12D ).

DISTRIBUTION. — Indian Ocean: Natal, South Africa ( Kosuge 1992), Somalia ( Kosuge 1993). Pacific Ocean: Coral Sea, Norfolk Ridge, Loyalty Ridge, Fiji, Tonga and New Hebrides Arc, empty shells in 227-700 m, alive in 433-532 m ( Oliverio 2008b). Austral Islands empty shells in 270- 500 m.

REMARKS

I am not totally convinced that the single shell here recorded in not a specimen of B. mediopacificus with a weaker sculpture. Also the use of the name fusiformis for Pacific populations of this group may prove to be erroneous. Following Oliverio (2008b), Martens’ name is here maintained pending a revision of the B. japonicus species group, which must include analysis of protoconchs over a large geographic range and possibly also the use of molecular markers, in a phylogeographic framework.

Figures

FIG. 9. — A, B, Babelomurex mediopacificus (Kosuge, 1979), Recif Neilson, BENTHAUS, stn DW 1924, 27°00.6’S, 146°04.8’W, 340- 800 m; C, D, B. fusiformis (Martens, 1902), North coast of Rurutu, BENTHAUS, stn DW 1999, 22°25.1’S, 151°22.1’W, 270-500 m. Scale bars: 10 mm.

FIG. 12. — A, Coralliophila australis n. sp., paratype (MNHN 20967), Marotiri Is., BENTHAUS, stn DW 1879, 27°55’S, 143°30.1’W, 52 m; B, C. costularis (Lamarck, 1816), Rimatara Is., BENTHAUS, stn DW 2013, 22°38.6’S, 152°49.7’W, 80-93 m; C, Coralliophila sp. A, Banc Arago, BENTHAUS, stn DW 1970, 23°22’S, 150°43.2’W,350-401 m; D, Babelomurex fusiformis (Martens, 1902), North coast of Rurutu, BENTHAUS, stn DW 1999, 22°25.1’S, 151°22.1’W, 270-500 m; E, Rapa sp. cf. R. incurva (Dunker, 1852), Banc Président Thiers,BENTHAUS,stn DW 1926, 24°38.2’S, 146°00.8’W,50-90 m; F, Babelomurex sibogae (Shepman,1911),Banc Président Thiers, stn DW 1929, 24°38.6’S, 146°01.6’W, 350-370 m. Scale bars: 100 μm.