Belonimorphis cubensis ( Rolán & Espinosa, 1992 )

Pimenta, Alexandre Dias, Faria, Raquel Garofalo De Souza, Figueira, Raquel Medeiros Andrade & Fernandes, Maurício Romulo, 2024, Unraveling another of the ‘ Big Fiveʹ: new species and records of Cerithiopsidae from Brazil (Caenogastropoda: Triphoroidea), Zootaxa 5494 (1), pp. 1-71 : 53-54

Belonimorphis cubensis ( Rolán & Espinosa, 1992)

( Fig. 28 )

Horologica cubensis Rolán & Espinosa, 1992: 46 , figs. 2, 3, 7.

Belonimorphis cubensis : Cecalupo & Perugia (2020: 8, pl. 1, figs. 1a–d).

Material examined. Brazil: -- Maranhão state: Piatam Oceano sta. 108, 01°30’ S, 43°18ʹ W, 59 m: MZSP 94414 [1]; -- Vitória-Trindade Chain: Columbia Seamount, REVIZEE– Central sta. C5–42 R: IBUFRJ 19448 [1].

Remarks. The two shells of Belonimorphis cubensis from Brazil, in spite of their worn condition, allow the recognition of the typical bottle-shaped shell and the adapical spiral cord of the teleoconch fusing with the median one around the fifth teleoconch whorl ( Fig. 28B ) and later becoming separated ( Fig. 28C ). These features are present in most species currently allocated in Belonimorphis , but they are slightly different from the type species (see remarks under Cerithiopsis favus ). Also, the color pattern of at least one shell ( Fig. 28C ) fits with that described by Rolán & Espinosa (1992) and by Cecalupo & Perugia (2020) for this species.

Belonimorphis rauli ( Rolán & Espinosa, 1992) , previously allocated to Horologica and also transferred to Belonimorphis by Cecalupo & Perugia (2013: 41), has the two main spiral cords on teleoconch whorls and with a similar profile, whereas B. cubensis shows the fused adapical/median cord much more prominent than the abapical one, in addition to other differences already indicated by Rolán & Espinosa (1992).

Geographic and bathymetric distribution. Belonimorphis cubensis has been recorded from the Tropical Northwestern Atlantic province , ranging from Cuba, Guadeloupe and Martinique, from 10 m ( Rolán & Espinosa 1992) to 85 m ( Cecalupo & Perugia 2020), with an anomalous record from 700–750 m ( Cecalupo & Perugia 2020). From Brazil, it is now known from the North Brazil Shelf Province (Maranhão state) and the Tropical Southwestern Atlantic Province , in the Vitória-Trindade Chain , off Espírito Santo state, from 59 to 85 m.

Genus Dizoniopsis Sacco, 1895

Type species. Cerithium bilineatum Hörnes, 1848 , by original designation.

Figures

FIGURE 28. Belonimorphis cubensis (Rolán & Espinosa, 1992). A–B, D–E: shell from Vitória-Trindade Chain (A–B: IBUFRJ 19448); C: shell from Maranhão state (MZSP 94414); D: protoconch of shell in B; E: detail of teleoconch whorls of shell in B. Lengths of whole shells: A–B: 3.6 mm; C: 4.4 mm. Scale bars: A–C: 1 mm; D–E: 200 µm.