Siphonaria javanica ( Lamarck, 1819 )

Kim, Yukyung, Park, Jina, Hwang, Ui Wook & Park, Joong-Ki, 2025, Taxonomic review of Korean Siphonaria species (Mollusca, Gastropoda, Siphonariidae), Biodiversity Data Journal 13, pp. e 139388-e 139388 : e139388-

Siphonaria javanica ( Lamarck, 1819)

Siphonaria (Siphonaria) javanica : Lee and Min 2002: 146 [checklist]; Min et al. 2004: 334, fig. 1054.

Siphonaria javanica : Noseworthy et al. 2007: 90 [checklist].

Distribution

Japan (Okinawa island), Malaysia, Palau, Indonesia and northeast Australia.

Type locality: Indonesia; Java Island.

Taxon discussion

This species was initially included by Lee and Min (2002) in their checklist. Later, Min et al. (2004) described the shell characters of this species as having a large shell size (SL 20 mm, SW 18 mm, SH 9 mm) and white primary ribs with 2–3 thin secondary ribs in the interspaces. However, the shell characters in their description do not align with the original description of S. javanica provided by Lamarck (1819) or the subsequent studies by Morrison (1972) and Jenkins and Köhler (2024). The original description of S. javanica is brief, noting that the species possesses ‘ white radiating ribs and crenated margin’ (translation from Latin). Morrison (1972) further noted that S. javanica was readily distinguished from other congeneric species by its high conical shell with buttress-like strong white radial ribs. Jenkins and Köhler (2024) provided a further detailed description of S. javanica by designating a lectotype and refined its taxonomy by clarifying its diagnostic characteristics. Their study also emphasised that S. javanica possesses well-developed primary ribs that extend beyond the shell margin, resulting in a coarsely undulated shell margin. This contrasts with the shell image provided by Min et al. (2004), which depicts the species with a smooth shell margin. Given the restricted distribution range of S. javanica to Indonesia and Timor-Leste, as clarified by the recent revision in Jenkins and Köhler (2024), Morrison (1972) and the discordance between the shell description of Korean “ S. javanica ” samples and both the original and subsequent descriptions, it is likely that the previously reported Korean specimens of “ S. javanica ” are likely misidentifications of S. japonica . Further studies with broader taxon sampling are necessary to resolve this taxonomic issue.