Brasityphis barrosi, Absalão, Ricardo Silva & Santos, Franklin Noel Dos, 2003

Absalão, Ricardo Silva & Santos, Franklin Noel Dos, 2003, A new genus and species of Typhinae (Mollusca, Gastropoda, Muricidae) from off northeastern Brazil, Zootaxa 279, pp. 1-6 : 2-5

Brasityphis barrosi n. sp. (figs 1–6)

Description: Shell small, biconical, up to 5.0 mm in length at maturity, holotype with 3.5 teleoconch whorls; height 4.0 mm; width 2.7 mm, whitish but occasionally cream­rose in colour. Spire high with 1–1.5 smooth rounded protoconch whorls and up to 4 teleoconch whorls. Suture moderately impressed. Last whorl relatively short, about 50–60% of total shell length and with four rounded varices and a single axial rib between each varix. Each axial rib closer to succeeding than to preceding varix. Absence of expanded wing at aperture. Aperture ovate, holostomatous, peristome slightly erect. Inner side of outer lip with 5 strong rounded denticles (D1–D5) only visible in adult specimens; D1 strongest. Anterior part of columellar lip with rounded callus. Siphonal canal sealed, bent slightly backwards.

Spiral sculpture consisting of six rounded, relatively broad cords (P1–P6). P1 only conspicuous on axial varices, P2–P4 usually similar in size and strength, P2 occasionally broader, P5 and P6 lower and narrower. A rounded, functional anal tube originates from P1, nearest to succeeding varix, forming an angle of 80–90° with the axis of the shell. All others anal tubes closed. High, rounded nodes present where spiral cords cross varices and axial ribs, giving a coarse nodulous appearance to the shell. Additional numerous fine spiral and axial threads give a reticulate appearance to the shell surface (but not forming an intritacalx), except on first whorl of teleoconch which is smooth.

Type material: Holotype: MORG 41063; paratype 1 UFPE 4444; paratype 2 IBUFRJ 13816; paratype 3 MZSP 36510; paratype 4 MNHN, all from type locality. Paratype 5 MNRJ 9854; paratype 6 ANSP 411165, paratype 7 (R. Houart – Belgium); paratype 8 ZMA Moll. 4.03.010; 9 UFPE 4445; paratypes 5–9 from #2.3 PCABS, 37º05’08”S, 11º24’14”W, 99 m depth, 16/iv/2002. Paratype 10 IBUFRJ 13817 #2.1 PCABS, 37º04’30”S, 11º23’21”W, 99 m depth, 16/iv/2002. Paratype 11 MORG 41064 PCABS # 6.2, 37º09’34”S, 11º29’09”W, 622 m depth, 21/iv/2002.

Type locality: Off the coast of the state of Sergipe, 11º23’48”S, 37º04’48”W, #2.2 RV “Astro Garoupa” coll. PCABS, 90 m depth (empty shells), 16/iv/2002, fine sand and mud bottom. Northeastern Brazil.

Etymology: Brasityphis barrosi is named after Dr. José Carlos Nascimento de Barros of the Universidade Federal Rural de Pernambuco, Brazil, who found the first specimens of this new species.

Discussion: The subfamily Typhinae is characterised by having four or five varices per whorl and sealed anal tubes, which distinguish it from the subfamily Tripterotyphinae D’Attilio & Hertz, 1988, which has a trivaricate shell and open or sealed tubes. Most of the genera in the Typhinae have blade­like or intervarical flanges, e.g., Typhis Montfort, 1810 ( Keen, 1944: figs 8, 9, 19; D’Attilio & Hertz, 1988: figs 102, 103–106; Houart, 1994: figs 177, 179), Typhinellus Jousseaume, 1880 ( Keen, 1944: fig. 15; D’Attilio & Hertz, 1988: figs 98­100; Houart, 1994: fig. 181; Rios, 1994: fig. 488), Typhina Jousseaume, 1880 , ( Talityphis Jousseaume, 1882 was synonymised by Houart 2002 with Typhina ) ( Keen, 1944: figs 10, 16; D’Attilio & Hertz, 1988: figs 69–78, 83–97; Houart, 1994: figs 182– 189; Rios, 1994: figs 487, 490) Monstrotyphis Habe, 1961 (D’Attilio & Hertz, 1988: fig. 52); Typhisala Jousseaume, 1881 ( Keen, 1944: fig. 18; D’Attilio & Hertz, 1988: figs 107– 108), whereas Brasityphis has rounded, cord­like, axial varices and no intervarical flanges. Rugotyphis Vella, 1961 (D’Attilio & Hertz, 1988: figs 56–60) shows axial ribs roughly blade­like with intervarical flanges with or without conspicuous spiral ornamentation. However, the main character of the taxon is the large partition. Brasityphis has neither intervarical flanges nor any kind of partition. The shells included in Haustellotyphis Jousseaume, 1880 ( Keen, 1944: fig. 7; D’Attilio & Hertz, 1988: fig. 41); Laevityphis Cossmann, 1903 ( Keen, 1944: fig. 14, Radwin & D’Attilio, 1976: fig. 45­50), and Siphonochelus Jousseaume, 1880 ( Keen, 1944: fig.11; Radwin & D’Attilio, 1976: 198, fig.

143–145; D’Attilio & Hertz, 1988: fig. 61–68; Houart, 1994: figs 190–199) also have rounded varices, but usually without conspicuous spiral ornamentation; whereas Brasityphis has about four strong spiral cords crossing the shell, producing relatively acute nodes where they cross the axial ribs. Another distinctive character is that the axial ribs are closer to the succeeding than to the preceding varix, the opposite of the state in Typhisopsis Jousseaume, 1880 ( Keen, 1944: figs 17–18; Houart, 1994: fig. 180; D’Attilio & Hertz, 1988: fig. 109). Although Typhisopsis has rounded varices and relatively strong spiral cords as in Brasityphis , it has spines curving towards the shell with the anal tubes buttressed and facing away from the body whorl, no denticles inside the outer lip, and no callus on the columellar wall. Brasityphis has no spines and bears four anal tubes per whorl. Moreover, the denticles within the outer lip and the callus on the parietal wall clearly distinguish Brasityphis n. gen. from any other typhine genus. Brasityphis n. gen. includes a single species, Brasityphis barrosi n. sp.

Four species of Typhinae were previously known from Brazilian waters ( Rios, 1994): Typhina expansus (Sowerby, 1874) and Siphonochelus riosi (Bertsch & D’Attilio, 1980) ( Rios, 1994: fig. 487 and fig. 490 respectively), Typhinellus sowerbii (Broderip, 1833) ( Rios, 1994: fig. 488), Rugotyphis cleryi (Petit, 1842) ( Rios, 1994: fig.489 — which shows no partition and conforms better with Typhis s.s. than with any other supra­specific taxon). None of these can be confused with Brasityphis barrosi n. sp., because of the generic differences.