Fissidentalium, Fischer, 1885

Scarabino, Victor, 2008, New species and new records of scaphopods from New Caledonia, Mémoires du Muséum national d'Histoire naturelle 196, pp. 215-268 : 228

Genus FISSIDENTALIUM Fischer, 1885

REMARKS.— This genus presents many uncertainties. In-depth studies are needed to clarify its specific composition, and obtain a better idea of the number of valid (Recent) species. Most species live in deep water and the diverse geographic and unclear bathymetric distributions given in the literature have contributed to the taxonomic confusion.

Current information regarding the radula does not offer much help for identification at the species level. Detailed studies, including meristic and morphometric analysis of shells and radulae will surely contribute to clarifying the problem.

Lamprell & Healy (1998: figs 91F, G) identified a radula as that of Fissidentalium franklinae Lamprell & Healy, 1998 . However, there are similarities between Lamprell & Healy’s illustration and that of the radula of Omniglypta cerina (Pilsbry, 1905) (Fig. 5a) and even of Calliodentalium crocinum (Dall, 1907) , at least regarding the lateral and marginal teeth (Fig. 5b). I have studied enough radulae of species of Fissidentalium to conclude that this is not a Fissidentalium radula, and attribute its misidentification to a printing layout problem or the result of a misidentification of the soft parts through mixture in the original lot. The radular characteristics of F. franklinae should be confirmed when new material is available.