Roxania smithae, Valdés, 2008

Valdés, Ángel, 2008, Deep-sea “ cephalaspidean ” heterobranchs (Gastropoda) from the tropical southwest Pacific, Mémoires du Muséum national d'Histoire naturelle 196, pp. 587-792 : 696-698

Roxania smithae n. sp.

Figs 53C, 54

TYPE MATERIAL. — Holotype MNHN 20378 and 20 paratypes MNHN 20379-20382, 8 paratypes LACM 2994 .

TYPE LOCALITY . — Eua, Tonga, 21°12’S, 174°56’W, 970-983 m [ BORDAU 2 : stn DW 1531 ] .

MATERIAL EXAMINED. — Coral Sea. MUSORSTOM 5: stn 357, 20°37’S, 166°58’E, 538 m, 1 dd. — BIOCAL:stn DW 104 , 21°31’S, Chesterfield Islands , 19°37’S, 158°46’E, 630 m, 1 dd; stn 380, 166°21’E, 375-450 m, 1 dd .

19°38’S, 158°44’E, 555-570 m, 1 dd. Vanuatu. MUSORSTOM 8: stn DW 1113, 14°53’S, 167°06’E, North of New Caledonia. MUSORSTOM 4: stn DC 168, 700-736 m, 3 dd, paratypes ( MNHN 20380).

18°48’S, 163°11’E, 720 m, 1 dd; stn CC 174 , 19°00’S, 163°18’E, Fiji. BORDAU 1 : stn DW 1486 , 19°01’S, 178°26’W, 395-540 m, 365 m, 1 dd . — BATHUS 4 : stn DW 914 , Grand Passage, 18°49’S, 2 dd; stn DW 1488 , 19°01’S, 178°25’W, 500-516 m, 7 dd .

163°15’E, 600-616 m, 11 dd; stn DW 917 , 18°47’S, 163°14’E, Wallis and Futuna. MUSORSTOM 7: stn DW 507 , Futuna Is- 397-400 m, 6 dd; stn DW 923 , 18°52’S, 163°24’E, 470-502 m, land, 14°20’S, 178°07’W, 419-425 m, 1 dd; stn DW 601 , Wallis 1 dd. Island, 13°19’S, 176°17’W, 350 m, 2 dd; stn DW 604 , 13°21’S, New Caledonia proper. BIOCAL:stn DW 77 , 22°15’S, 167°15’E, 176°08’W, 415-420 m, 3 dd, paratypes ( MNHN 20381 ); stn DW 440 m, 11 dd, paratypes ( MNHN 20379 ) . — BATHUS 2 : stn CP 608, 13°22’S, 176°08’W, 440-458 m, 1 dd; stn DW 635 , SW 743, Passe de Boulari , 22°36’S, 166°26’E, 713-950 m, 3 dd; stn Pacific, 13°49’S, 179°56’W, 700-715 m, 1 dd .

CP 755, Passe deDumbéa, 22°22’S, 166°14’E, 495 m, 1 dd; stn Tonga. BORDAU 2 : stn DW 1508 , Tongatapu, 21°02’S, 175°19’W, CP 760, 22°19’S, 166°11’E, 455 m, 2 dd; stn CP 761, 22°19’S, 555-581 m, 1 dd; stn DW 1531 , Eua, 21°12’S, 174°56’W, 970- 166°11’E, 490-500 m, 1 dd . — BATHUS 3 : stn DW 838 , 23°01’S, 983 m, 1 dd, holotype ( MNHN 20378 ; Fig. 53C); stn DW 1538 , 166°56’E, 400-402 m, 2 dd. 21°39’S, 175°19’W, 471-508 m, 1 dd; stn DW 1547 , SW of Ton- Norfolk Ridge. BIOCAL: stn DW 56 , 23°35’S, 167°12’E, 695- gatapu, 21°24’S, 175°18’W, 488-491 m, 1 dd; stn DW 1548 , S of 705 m, 1 dd. Nomuka Islands , 20°38’S, 175°03’W, 476-478 m, 2 dd; stn DW Loyalty Ridge. MUSORSTOM 6: stn DW 459 , 21°01’S, 167°31’E, 1549, 20°38’S, 175°00’W, 500 m, 1 dd; stn DW 1552 , 20°38’S, 425 m, 8 dd, paratypes ( LACM 2994 ); stn DW 468 , 21°06’S, 174°58’W, 491-500 m, 3 dd, paratypes ( MNHN 20382 ); stn DW 167°33’E, 600 m, 3 dd . — BIOGEOCAL: stn CP 232, 21°34’S, 1553, 20°42’S, 174°54’W, 650-676 m, 1 dd; stn DW 1585 , Vava‘u 166°27’E, 760-790 m, 1 dd; stn DW 289 , 20°36’S, 167°00’E, Islands, 18°33’S, 173°57’W, 578 m, 3 dd; stn DW 1588 , 18°40’S, 830-840 m, 1 dd . — CALSUB: pl 15, between Lifou and Uvea , 173°52’W, 630-710 m, 2 dd .

DISTRIBUTION. — Collected in the Coral Sea, Fiji, New Caledonia, Tonga, Vanuatu and Wallis and Futuna (Fig. 54),

in 350- 975 m.

DESCRIPTION. — Shell morphology. Length 7 mm, width 5 mm (single specimen examined). Shell solid, short, oval, with convex sides (Fig. 53C). Only 1 whorl visible, forming the entire shell. The protoconch is embedded within the outer whorl in larger specimens (more than 3.0-3.5 mm long) but is visible in juveniles (less than 3.0-3.5 mm long). Apex rounded, not umbilicate. Aperture lip rising slightly over the apex. Anterior end of the shell rounded. Aperture as long as the shell, wider anteriorly and narrowing abruptly at about 1/3 of the aperture length. Columellar margin conspicuously thickened, with a small, inconspicuous callus composed of numerous tubercles in juvenile specimens (less than 3.0-3.5 mm long). Adult specimens (more than 3.0-3.5 mm long) with a wide lip on the anterior end of the aperture and no distinct callus. Sculpture of several punctuated spiral grooves, more densely concentrated towards the posterior end. Near the apex, the punctuations are larger and more densely arranged. Colour uniform cream.

Anatomy. Unknown. All shells collected lacked soft parts.

REMARKS. — Roxania smithae has intermediate features between species of Sabatia and Roxania . The shell is oval to rounded with the aperture lip rising slightly over the apex and not forming a distinct wing, as in Roxania punctulata (A. Adams, 1862) and R. pacifica (Habe, 1955) . However, the juvenile specimens have a small callus and the protoconch is not embedded within the spire, as in Sabatia pustulosa Dall, 1895 and Sabatia nivea (Watson, 1883) . Because of the overall similarities of the adult shells of R. smithae to those of other species of Roxania it is provisionally placed in this genus, until complete specimens become available for anatomical study.

Roxania smithae differs from R. pacifica in having a more oval shell with the sculpture of punctuated spiral grooves more clearly marked in the central region of the shell. In addition, juvenile specimens of R. pacifica do not have a callus and the protoconch is always embedded within the spire. Differences from R. punctulata include the absence of an umbilicus and striations on the outer lip as well as the presence of spiral grooves rather than separate punctuations in R. smithae .

ETYMOLOGY. — Dedicated to Nancy Smith (LACM Malacology volunteer), who provided invaluable assistance in the completion of the manuscript.