Notosinister hervieri Kosuge, 1962

Figure 53

Notosinister hervieri Kosuge 1962a: 81, pl. 10, fig. 1, text fig. 15, 18.

Type locality.

Ankyaba, Setouchi-machi, Amami Islands.

Type material.

Holotype: TZM Mo. 13036 (fide Kosuge 1962a; not seen, illustrated in Higo et al. 2001: 50, G1670). Paratype: NHMUK 1966140: 1 specimen, Amami Islands, Japan .

Original description.

Shell large to medium in size, conical, tapering to the summit, somewhat narrowed at the base. Protoconch of 5 whorls, acuminated conical, with 2 spiral keels overridden by numerous axial threads, brownish red in colour. Mature whorls 16, suture distinct and rather deep, each whorl somewhat inflated and sculptured with 3 equal rows of granules which are connected with fine spiral threads and broad axial columns, median row decreases to a fine thread at its upper 2 or 3 whorls. Granules large, apart by about half of its diameter, 22 to a whorl; on the body whorl, fourth row encircles on the periphery and coloured orange yellow, other 2 faintly granulated keels on the rounded base. Aperture subquadrate, anterior canal long and recurved backward. The colouration isdistinctive, upper row orange yellow, others pinkish or lilac brown.

Shell length: 9.7 mm.

Remarks: This species is closely related to T. loyaltyensis (Hervier) in its sculpture and colour pattern, though differs in having 2 spiral keels on its protoconch in contrast with 1 keel of the latter. This is distributed in Okinawa and Amami Islands, and was formerly treated as T. loyaltyensis by Japanese authors.