Ledella cf. orixa ( Dall, 1927 )

Gofas, Serge, Luque, Ángel A., Oliver, Joan Daniel, Templado, José & Serrano, Alberto, 2021, The Mollusca of Galicia Bank (NE Atlantic Ocean), European Journal of Taxonomy 785 (1), pp. 1-114 : 76

Ledella cf. orixa ( Dall, 1927)

Fig. 32C‒D

Leda orixa Dall, 1927: 8‒9 .

Ledella oxira [sic] ( Dall, 1927) ‒ Allen & Hannah 1989: 148.

Material examined

GALICIA BANK • 1 sh; 42°37.77′ N, 11°49.46′ W; 818 m; 30 Jul. 2011; BANGAL 0711 V3; MNCN • 1 sh, 45 v; 42°41.94′ N, 11°40.58′ W; 744 m; 31 Jul. 2011; BANGAL 0711 V4; MNCN • 1 v; 42°56.77′ N, 11°58.53′ W; 1631 m; 2 Aug. 2011; BANGAL 0711 V5; MNCN .

Remarks

This minute species is represented both in shallow and deep samples from INDEMARES BANGAL. The illustrated syntype ( Fig. 32E‒F ), deemed to be a holotype in Allen & Hannah (1989), is larger, with more robust teeth, but otherwise shares with our specimens the unusual inequilateral outline with the pointed posterior part shorter than the anterior. Sizes (3.12 and 1.74 mm) reported by Allen & Hannah (1989) for additional specimens are in the same range. Although this may be an undescribed species similar to L. orixa , we prefer to use tentatively this name and await the availability of live-taken material for further study.

Figures

Fig. 32. Protobranchia 2. A–B. Ledella messanensis (Jeffreys, 1870), BANGAL 0711, V10, 1720 m, 5.8 mm. C–D. Ledella cf. orixa (Dall, 1927), BANGAL 0711, V5, 1631 m, 2.0 mm. E–F. Syntype (USNM 108190) of Leda orixa Dall, 1927, off Georgia 30.975°N, 79.6417°W, 538 m, R/V Albatross, 3.6 mm (photograph by Ellen Strong, reproduced with the permission of the National Museum of Natural History, Smithsonian Institution, 10th and Constitution Ave. N.W., Washington, DC 20560-0193 http://www.nmnh.si.edu/). G–H. Yoldiella semistriata (Jeffreys, 1879), BANGAL 0711, V2, 1706 m, 3.2 mm. I–J. Yoldiella valorousae Killeen & J.A. Turner, 2009, BANGAL 0711, V2, 1706 m, 3.0 mm. Scale bars = 1 mm.