Vexillum (Protoelongata) corallinum ( REEVE, 1845 ) Herrmann & Stossier & Salisbury, 2014

Herrmann, Manfred, Stossier, Günter & Salisbury, Richard, 2014, A new subgenus including three new species of the genus Vexillum (Gastropoda: Costellariidae) from the central Indo-Pacific with remarks on Vexillum (Pusia) semicostatum (ANTON, 1838), Contributions to Natural History 24, pp. 1-55 : 14-16

Vexillum (Protoelongata) corallinum ( REEVE, 1845) comb. nov.

( Figs 5 , 15–16 , 31–35 )

Description

Slender, fusiform, nearly biconical shell, shiny, reaching about 22 mm in length. Elongated protoconch consists of at least three whorls. Teleoconch consists of 7 slightly convex whorls. Spire outline straight, first two to three whorls with distinct narrow axial ribs, remaining whorls with broad but flat axial ribs. Last third to half of body whorl often smooth. Whole shell covered with fine spiral striae. Aperture shorter than half the entire shell, lirate inside. Lip straight in posterior half, then recurved towards the siphonal fasciole. Siphonal canal short, narrow and slightly recurved. Columella with 4 strong folds, decreasing in size anteriorly. Folds merge into weak spiral cords when leaving the columellar shield.

Colour pattern: Shell colour deep red, seldom orange. Protoconch yellowish translucent, first two to three whorls changing from yellowish orange to deep red without white markings. All remaining whorls regularly covered with white dots on the ribs in the anterior part of the whorls, often faded in the last half of the body whorl. Columellar folds greyish, aperture reddish orange.

Animal: Siphon black with many, equal-sized white or yellow spots, animal body black, with white spots, foot underneath greyish black with yellowish white margin, base of eyestalk black with white spots, eyestalk thick with a large black eye at the base, upper portion of the eyestalk semitransparent with fine white spots.

Holotype: NHMUK 1967727 ; 14.8 mm.

Type locality: Philippines, Masbate, found on the sand.

Distribution: Western Pacific from Japan ( Okutani 2000) via the type locality Philippines and Malaysia ( Coltro & Coltro 2013) to Papua New Guinea ( Pechar & al. 1980), Queensland, Australia (this paper) and Vanuatu ( Coltro & Coltro 2013).

Remarks: This species was put into synonymy with Vexillum (Pusia) semicostatum (ANTON, 1838) by different authors ( Pechar & al. 1980 – plate 54, fig. 4; Springsteen & Leobrera 1986; Okutani 2000; Turner 2001), but is easy to distinguish from the latter species by the red-orange colour and the regular white dots only in the anterior part of the whorls.

Figures

Plate 1: Vexillum (Protoelongata) subgen. nov., all figures 4.5 x Fig. 1: Vexillum (Protoelongata) dekkersi sp. nov., paratype 1, Philippines, Bohol, Balicasag Island, collected 2000, 11.7 mm, MS 63760. Fig. 2: Vexillum (Protoelongata) bilineatum (REEVE, 1845) comb. nov., Philippines, Cebu, dived 15–20 m, 20.6 mm, MH. Fig. 3: Vexillum (Protoelongata) xerampelina (MELVILL, 1895) comb. nov., holotype, Arabian Sea, Yemen, Aden, 18.8 mm, ex coll. E.R. Shopland; J.C. Melvill, NMW.1955.158.00429 (coll. Melvill-Tomlin). Fig. 4: Vexillum (Protoelongata) rubrotaeniatum sp. nov., paratype 9, Solomon Islands, Guadalcanal, Bonegi, collected Aug 1987 by F. Lorenz on rocks at night at 21 m, 13.8 mm, MH. Fig. 5: Vexillum (Protoelongata) corallinum (REEVE, 1845) comb. nov., Philippines, Bohol, Balicasag Island, 73–88 m, 17.5 mm, ex coll. Steinke, MH. Fig. 6: Vexillum (Protoelongata) heleneae sp. nov., holotype, Guam, Orote Point, Orote Cliffs, collected by R. Salisbury under a pile of rocks at 18 m, 7 Jan 1978, 17.2 mm, MNHN 27071. Fig. 7: Vexillum (Protoelongata) loyaltyense (HERVIER, 1897) comb. nov., Philippines, Cebu, Mactan Island, Punta Engaño, collected 2009 by lumun lumun net at 25–50 m, 10.3 mm, MH. Photos: Fig. 3 Harriet Wood (NMW), Fig. 6 Richard Salisbury, other photos Manfred Herrmann.

Plate 5: Vexillum (Protoelongata) corallinum (REEVE, 1845) comb. nov. Figs 15–16: Philippines, Bohol, Panglao area, collected 2004. © MNHN.

Plate 10: Vexillum (Protoelongata) corallinum (REEVE, 1845) comb. nov., figures 4 x Fig. 31: Holotype, Philippines, Masbate, found on the sands, 14.8 mm, NHMUK 1967727. Figs 32–33: Juvenile Specimen, Philippines, Bohol, Balicasag, lumun lumun nets, collected 2006, 6.8 mm, MH (fig. 33 detail of first whorls with elongated protoconch, 12 x). Fig. 34: Specimen, Philippines, Bohol, Balicasag Island, 73–88 m, 17.5 mm, ex coll. Steinke, MH. Fig. 35: Specimen, Australia, Queensland, Credlin Reef, dived up Jul 1997 from reef slope at 8 m at night, 17.1 mm, MH. Photos: Fig. 31 John Wolff, other photos Manfred Herrmann.