Fastosarion superbus ( Cox, 1871 )

Hyman, Isabel T. & Köhler, Frank, 2019, Phylogeny and systematic revision of the helicarionid semislugs of eastern Queensland (Stylommatophora, Helicarionidae), Contributions to Zoology 88 (4), pp. 351-451 : 398-399

Fastosarion superbus ( Cox, 1871)

Figs. 6 , 7A , 8A , 9

Vitrina superba Cox, 1871: 54 ; Pfeiffer, 1876: 23; Cox, 1887: 1063, pl. 21, figs. 8–9.

Helicarion superbus: Tryon, 1885: 172 ; Hedley, 1888: 49; Cox, 1909: 5.

Helicarion (Fastosarion) superbus: Iredale, 1933: 37 .

Fastosarion superbus: Iredale, 1937: 9 .

Fastosarion superba: Smith, 1992: 232 ; Scott, 1995:71-74, figs. 1a-b, 3, 4, 5a; Hyman & Ponder, 2010: 47-49, figs. 6H–I, 7L, 8L, 9L, 12I, 13H, 17A– C; Stanisic et al., 2010: 306–307; Stanisic, 2018: fig. 4C.

Material examined

Types: Holotype: Status unknown, whereabouts unknown, presumed lost ( Smith et al., 2002, Mt Dryander, Port Denison, QLD).

Non-type material: See table 1 .

Diagnosis

External morphology: Shell (fig. 7A) large (20.2–38.0 mm), golden amber, 3.2–3.8 whorls, subglobose with a very low spire, protoconch slightly raised. Body (fig. 8A) 60–75 mm long, dark speckled greenish brownish grey, sole slightly paler with narrow with indistinct dark vertical stripes, faint spots on sides of tail. Mantle lobes moderately large; shell lappets large, finely pustulose, each with a single ridge; lobes and lappets darker than body with a pale border. Tail strongly keeled, slime network moderately strong.

Genital anatomy: Genitalia (fig. 9) with swollen vagina, internally with faint longitudinal pilasters; bursa copulatrix short, duct indistinct, internally with longitudinal pilasters, bursa internally with transverse ridges. Penis very large, internally with one longitudinal pilaster, internal wall sculptured with fine diagonal lamellae arranged in a chevron pattern; approx. 60% contained in penial tunica. Penis longer than epiphallus; two arms of epiphallus approx. equal in length; epiphallus 2 equal in diameter to penis; epiphallus 1 narrower than penis; flagellum moderate length, slender.

Remarks

Fastosarion superbus has been reported from Mt Dryander to Clarke Range in mid-eastern Qld ( Stanisic et al., 2010). However, both the results of Stanisic (2018) and the present work have demonstrated that specimens attributed to F. superbus from the Clarke Range belong to F. comerfordae , limiting the range of F. superbus to just the type locality, Mt Dryander (fig. 6). This means that specimens figured by Scott (1995) for F. superbus actually belong to F. comerfordae .

Fastosarion superbus can be distinguished from its congeners by its large size and dark (often greenish) colouration, and its finely pustulose shell lappets. Anatomically, it is most similar to F. comerfordae , F. brazieri and F. paluma , sharing with all three species a similar internal penial anatomy. Specimens of Fastosarion comerfordae have often been misidentified as F. superbus ; however, while similar in size and body colour, they can be distinguished by their more orange brown coloration, the absence of a ridge on the left shell lappet, and the very dark vertical stripes along the edge of the sole.

Figures

FIGURE 6 Distribution of Clade A species. ▲ = F.superbus, ◻ = F.aquavitae, ♢ = F.brazieri, ◆ = F.comerfordae, ●= F.griseolus, ▽ = F.helenkingae, █ = F.paluma.

FIGURE 7 Shells of Clade A species. A. Fastosarion superbus, MO77446.B. Fastosarion aquavitae, MO50851.C. Fastosarion aquavitae, MO20228 (type locality of F.ameyi). D. Fastosarion brazieri, AM C.553533.E. Fastosarion comerfordae, MO63985.F.Fastosarion griseolus, MO55568.G.Fastosarion helenkingae, NMV F219324.H. Fastosarion helenkingae, AM C.559842 (type locality of F.schelli). I. Fastosarion paluma, MO63983.J.Fastosarion paluma, MO48024 (Hinchinbrook Is).Scale bar 5 mm.

FIGURE 8 Fastosarion live images (Clade A).A.Fastosarion superbus, MO46340, Mt Dryander (QM image). B.F.aquavitae, NMV F230751, Brandy Creek (A. Moussalli, NMV).C. F.brazieri, AM C.553531, Cape Tribulation (A.Moussalli, NMV).D. F.brazieri, AM C.525003, Mt Lewis.E.F.comerfordae, Broken River NP (Kackland). F.F.paluma, Paluma (QM image). G. F.griseolus, AM C.512514,Byfield SF.H. F.griseolus, AM C.512615,Burleigh Head NP. I. F.helenkingae, NMV F219324,Bowling Green NP (A. Moussalli, NMV).J. F.helenkingae, AM C.559842, Magnetic Island (type locality of F.schelli).

FIGURE 9 Genitalia of F.superbus. A. Reproductive system, MO77446,Mt Dryander.Arrow shows the junction of the penis and epiphallus. B. Penis interior, MO31289, Mt Dryander.Scale bars 1 mm (B), 2 mm (A).