Bellaspira barbadensis, Fallon, Phillip J., 2016

Fallon, Phillip J., 2016, Taxonomic review of tropical western Atlantic shallow water Drilliidae (Mollusca: Gastropoda: Conoidea) including descriptions of 100 new species, Zootaxa 4090 (1), pp. 1-363 : 28

Bellaspira barbadensis , new species

( Plate 6 )

Bellaspira pentagonalis auct. non (Dall, 1889) is a misidentification by Sander & Lalli (1982: Tables 1 & 4) of specimens collected off Barbados.

Type material. Holotype 14.5 x 5.5 mm (USNM 900086); 3 paratypes: 1 spec., 11.3 x 5.2 mm, from the type locality (USNM 900087); 2 spec., 8.3 x 3.8 & 10.9 x 5.0 mm, in ca. 180 m, off Holetown, Barbados, 13°10'52''N, 059°38'30''W, F. Sander! Oct 1978 (ANSP 353506).

Type locality. Off Jamestown, Barbados, in 128– 183 m.

Other material examined. An additional 34 specimens were examined: 6 spec., 10.3 x 4.5, 11.4 x 5.1, 10.0 x 4.6, 8.9 x 4.0, 6.8 x 3.4 & 6.1 x 2.9 mm, in 130–168 m, as empty shells from inside old bottles, off Sea Aquarium, Bapor Kibra, Willemstad, Curaçao, Netherlands Antilles, 12°04.87'N, 68°53.75'W, M. Harasewych! 23 May 2012 (USNM 1199821); 27 spec., 12.9 x 5.4, 13.1 x 5.4, 13.6 x 5.3, 11.4 x 4.9, 12.7 x 5.4, 11.3 x 4.9, 10.5 x 4.3, 9.4 x 4.4, 7.9 x 3.9, 11.7 x 5.1, 10.9 x 5.0, 8.8 x 4.2, 6.8 x 3.5, 7.6 x 3.4, 7.2 x 3.2, 9.3 x 4.0, 10.5 x 4.5, 11.1 x 4.8, 11.6 x 5.1, 12.0 x 5.0, 11.8 x 5.8, 11.4 x 5.0, 10.8 x 4.6, 9.7 x 3.9, 8.4 x 3.9, 7.5 x 4.0 & 6.0 x 2.9 mm, from inside an old bottle at 244–274 m, Sta. 13–04 off Sea Aquarium, Bapor Kibra, Willemstad, Curaçao, Netherlands Antilles, 12°04'59.51"N, 68°53'56.61"W, C. Baldwin! aboard submersible Curasub , 8 Feb 2013 (USNM 1231402); 1 spec., 8.2 x 3.6 mm, in 40–60 m, Los Testigos Is., Venezuela (P. Stahlschmidt coll.).

Range and habitat. Barbados; Venezuela (Los Testigos Is.); Netherlands Antilles (SE Curaçao). Specimens have been reported taken from between 60–274 m depths. The Curaçao specimens were empty shells taken from inside old discarded bottles. Signs of predation by octopi were evident on most of the specimens, so it is likely that the bottles served as a lair and that the prey was collected from within the foraging range of the octopuses. It is suspected that the shells were occupied by hermit crabs, which were then preyed upon by the octopuses (Boatman & Harasewych, 2014).

Description. Shell small (to 14.5 mm), fusiform, truncated anteriorly, rather stout with up to about 9 slightly convex whorls, last whorl 61% of shell length. Shell sculpture of broad axial ribs; aperture oval with short anterior canal. Protoconch of approximately 1¾–2 smooth whorls. Axial sculpture of broad, slightly opisthocline ribs that extend from suture-to-suture, slightly reduced on whorl shoulders, evanesce on shell base before reaching anterior fasciole; intercostal space wider than ribs of which there are 6–8 on penultimate and 4–5 on body whorl to varix; rib crests round. Spire ribs, except on the first two whorls, tend to align either vertically, or progressively such to appear auger-like. Spiral sculpture of ridges on anterior fasciole; microsculpture of irregularly spaced fine incised spiral lines over entire shell surface. Sulcus absent; ribs narrower on shoulder. Varix a greatly enlarged last rib positioned within ¼-turn of the edge of outer lip. Outer lip thin, projecting a short distance from varix; stromboid notch very shallow. Anal sinus a wide and shallow indentation of outer lip’s edge beginning at the suture when shell is viewed laterally; aperture inverted V-shape in sinus area when shell is viewed ventrally; callus present on parietal wall, and inside of outer lip in sinus of older specimens. Inner lip thickest anteriorly along the anterior canal, and a low callus at its junction with the outer lip posteriorly; lip broadest and thinnest on parietal wall. Anterior canal short, open, turned to the left when viewed ventrally; notched at its tip; anterior fasciole with spiral ridges, not swollen. Color white with two chestnut brown spiral bands, usually bands are intermittently faint or obsolete, appearing as dark spots on the trailing side of ribs. The upper band is visible on spire whorls, the lower only on the last.

Remarks. Taxonomy. Bellaspira barbadensis has all of the characteristics of Bellaspira , including a shallow anal sinus, incised spiral lines over the entire shell, a varix consisting of an enlarged rib within ¼-turn of the outer lip, and axial ribs that extend from suture-to-suture. Variability. The average total length of 38 specimens is 10.07 mm (6.0– 14.5 mm), and their average W/ L ratio is 0.448. The intensity and width of the spiral banding varies among individuals. Identification. Bellaspira barbadensis is most similar to B. margaritensis McLean & Poorman, 1970 but differs in having more inflated whorls, less pronounced spiral incised lines, and different coloration. Bellaspira margaritensis occurs in white, pink or brown forms, but none patterned with chestnut brown spiral bands.

Etymology. The Barbados Bellaspira . Named after the country of the type locality.

Figures

PLATE 6. Bellaspira barbadensis, new species. Upper panel. Figs. 1 – 3: holotype, off Jamestown, Barbados (USNM 900086). Fig. 1: ventral, lateral, and dorsal views; Fig. 2: enlarged view of protoconch (not to scale); Fig. 3: apical view, V = varix, L = edge of outer lip. Lower panel. Figs. 4 – 5: paratypes, off Holetown, Barbados (ANSP 353506). Figs. 6 – 7: off SW Curaçao, Neth. Antilles (USNM 1199821); Figs. 8 – 18: off SW Curaçao, Neth. Antilles (USNM 1231402); Fig. 19: paratype, off Jamestown, Barbados (USNM 900087).