Babelomurex, Coen, 1922

Oliverio, Marco, 2009, Diversity of Coralliophilinae (Mollusca, Neogastropoda, Muricidae) at Austral Islands (South Pacific), Zoosystema 31 (4), pp. 759-789 : 774-775

Babelomurex sp. A aff. B. yamatoensis Kosuge, 1986 ( Fig. 7C, D )

Babelomurex yamatoensis Kosuge, 1986: 70 , pl. 28, figs 1-5, pl 29, fig. 1.

TYPE MATERIAL. — Holotype ( IMT 86-3 ; not examined; figured by Kosuge [1986: pl. 28, fig. 1] along with a paratype [figs 2, 4]).

TYPE LOCALITY. — South China Sea.

MATERIAL EXAMINED. — Banc Arago, BENTHAUS, stn DW 1969, 23°22’S, 150°43.2’W, 200-640 m, 1 dd (fragment, Fig. 7C, D ).

DISTRIBUTION. — The Babelomurex yamatoensis group of species ranges from Japan ( Kosuge 1986: pl. 28, figs 3, 5), to the South China Sea and the Philippines, New Caledonia, Loyalty Ridge, Norfolk Ridge and Vanuatu, mostly in deep waters (empty shells in 195-360 m, alive in 254-264 m [ Oliverio 2008b], found occasionally alive at shallower depth [40-80 m] in the Philippines). Range extension to SW Pacific.

REMARKS

The complex of species in the B. yamatoensis group is traditionally diagnosed basing on a combination of protoconch and teleoconch characters ( Kosuge 1986). Both sets are mostly lacking in the fragment here recorded and thus, a definitive species identification is impossible.

Figures

FIG. 7. — A, B, Rhizochilus antipathum Steenstrup, 1850, Banc Arago, BENTHAUS,stn DW 1985,23°26.3’S, 150°44.2’W,100-107 m; C, D, Babelomurex sp. A aff. yamatoensis Kosuge, 1986, Banc Arago, BENTHAUS, stn DW 1969, 23°22’S, 150°43.2’W, 200-640 m; E, B. diadema (A. Adams, 1854), North coast of Rurutu, BENTHAUS, stn DW 1998, 22°24.8’S, 151°22.2’W, 250-302 m; F, G, B. santacruzensis Kosuge,1980,Banc NE of Rapa,BENTHAUS,stn DW 1904,27°26.5’S, 144°03.4’W,600-900 m; H, I, B. wormaldi (Powell, 1971), Banc Président Thiers, BENTHAUS, stn DW 1932,24°40.8’S, 146°01.5’W,500-800 m; J, K, B. sibogae (Shepman,1911),Banc Arago, BENTHAUS, stn DW 1973, 23°23.5’S, 150°43.9’W, 200-350 m. Scale bars: A, B, 5 mm; C-K, 10 mm.