Leptochiton opiparus (Iredale & Hull, 1925)

Sirenko, Boris, 2020, New Zealand and Australian species of the genus Leptochiton (Mollusca Polyplacophora), Zootaxa 4851 (3), pp. 401-449 : 441

Leptochiton opiparus (Iredale & Hull, 1925)

( Figure 46E )

Leptochiton opiparus was first synonymized with L. alveolus (M. Sars MS, Lovén, 1846) by Kaas & Van Belle (1985) and later with L. belknapi by Kaas & Van Belle (1987). In my opinion some of the species that were synonymized with L. belknapi are valid. Typical L. belknapi inhabits the Pacific Ocean from off the Pacific side of Hokkaido (40°12’N), the Sea of Okhotsk and the Bering Sea and North and South America’s Pacific waters southwards to 42°40’S, at depth of 100 to 3724 m ( Sirenko & Sellanes 2016). In the Western Pacific, further south from Hokkaido to New Zealand, more than 10 species which belong to the L. belknapi -group are living. Therefore I think L. opiparus is a valid species. It cannot be excluded that Leptochiton rissoi ( Nierstrasz, 1905) reported by Schwabe & Sellanes (2010) to be present in SW Australian waters represents Leptochiton opiparus . .

Figures

FIGURE 46. Images of type specimens: A. Leptochiton otagoensis, probably holotype (AM C.159221); B. L. sperandus, holotype (AM C.126815); C. L. liratellus, paratype AM C.149661); D. L. liratus, neotype (AM C.10410); E. L. opiparus, holotype (AM C.32026); F, G. L. subantarcticus, holotype (AM C.149662); H. L. columnarius, holotype (AM C.29060).