Attenborougharion rubicundus (Dartnall & Kershaw, 1978) Hyman & Köhler, 2017

Hyman, Isabel T. & Köhler, Frank, 2017, Attenborougharion gen. nov. (Mollusca: Pulmonata: Helicarionidae): A Likely Case of Convergent Evolution in Southeastern Tasmania, Records of the Australian Museum 69 (2), pp. 65-72 : 69

Attenborougharion rubicundus

(Dartnall & Kershaw, 1978) comb. nov.

Figs 1–4

Helicarion rubicundus Dartnall & Kershaw, 1978: 2 ; Kershaw, 1980: 213.

Material examined. Holotype: TMH E9028 (northeast flank of Hawkes Hill, near Eagle Hawk Neck , Tasmania); paratypes (2 specimens): QVM 9 :184, previously labelled 1975/9/1, Eagle Hawk Neck, Tasmania, leg. Dartnall, 1974; and non-type material (see Table 1).

Description

External appearance ( Figs 1–3 ): Large semislug, body 27.5–45 mm in alcohol, shell golden, 3.0–3.3 whorls. Head, eyestalks, neck and middle of tail burgundy; shell lappets, mantle lobes, sole and top of tail green; mantle lobes edged with burgundy. Border between burgundy and green colouration along tail visible even in spirit-preserved material (although colours cannot be identified).

Genitalia ( Fig. 4 ): Penis long, tubular, distal half enclosed in penial tunica. Penis interior with 4–5 longitudinal pilasters, smooth basally, pustulose proximally, connected by irregular wavy transverse ridges. Epiphallus slightly greater than penis length, entering penis apically, with a very short epiphallic caecum at point of attachment of penial retractor muscle, about one third along distance between penis and vas deferens. Epiphallic flagellum present, large, curved back alongside penis, with numerous internal cryptae adjacent to the epiphallus, flagellum tip slender with no cryptae. Spermatophore (from Dartnall & Kershaw, 1978: fig. 2) with one large, multiply branched spine at base of capsule, followed by spines of decreasing complexity.

Figures

Figure 1. Living animal of Attenborougharion rubicundus from Forestier Peninsula (QVM 9:15514). Courtesy of Simon Grove, TMAG.

Figure 2. Comparative external morphology. (A) Attenborougharion rubicundus from Eaglehawk Neck (QVM 9:9665). (B) Helicarion cuvieri from Forestier Peninsula (ex-QVM:9:9671). Scale

Figure 3. Shell of Attenborougharion rubicundus from Forestier Peninsula QVM 9:15514). (A) Photograph of shell viewed from top, front, and below. Scale bar = 5 mm. (B) Scanning electron micrograph showing protoconch. (C) Scanning electron micrograph showing micro-sculpture of fine radial wrinkles near suture on protoconch.

Figure 4. Reproductive anatomy of Attenborougharion rubicundus from Forestier Peninsula (QVM 9:15514). (A) Reproductive system. (B) Interior of penis. Scale bars = 5 mm.Abbreviations:alb, albumen gland;bc, bursa copulatrix;ca, caecum;ep, epiphallus;fl, flagellum; her, hermaphroditic duct; p, penis; pp, penial pilasters; prm, penial retractor muscle; ut, uterus; vd, vas deferens.