Babelomurex santacruzensis Kosuge, 1980

Oliverio, Marco, 2009, Diversity of Coralliophilinae (Mollusca, Neogastropoda, Muricidae) at Austral Islands (South Pacific), Zoosystema 31 (4), pp. 759-789 : 775

Babelomurex santacruzensis Kosuge, 1980 ( Fig. 7F, G )

Latiaxis santacruzensis Emerson & D’Attilio, 1970: 272 , 273, pl. 40, figs 1-4.

TYPE MATERIAL. — Holotype ( AMNH 155901 ). — Paratypes ( AMNH 155902 ; LACM 1234 [1 dry]) 88- 134 m, off Isla Santa Fe (Barrington), Islas Galapagos (0°43’S, 90°01’W, RV Velero III, 26.I.1938), and in the collections De Roy and D’Attilio ( Emerson & D’Attilio 1970: 273) .

TYPE LOCALITY. — Galapagos Islands, Ecuador.

MATERIAL EXAMINED. — Th e type material and: BENTHAUS, stn DW 1904, Banc NE of Rapa , 27°26.5’S, 144°03.4’W, 600-900 m, 1 dd ( Fig. 7F, G ).

Galapagos Islands, imprecise collecting data, 2 lv (dealer source: MO).

DISTRIBUTION. — Previously considered endemic to the Galapagos Islands ( Emerson & D’Attilio 1970; Keen 1971). Range extension to Austral Islands in the Indo-Pacific ecoregion, one empty shell in 600- 900 m.

REMARKS

The single shell collected is worn, partly broken and lacks the tip. It is however perfectly concordant with the type material. Th e paratype AMNH 155902 and one specimen in MO coll., have usable protoconchs of 2.5+ and 2.6 whorls, respectively, which allow inferring a planktotrophic development for this species.

Figures

FIG. 7. — A, B, Rhizochilus antipathum Steenstrup, 1850, Banc Arago, BENTHAUS,stn DW 1985,23°26.3’S, 150°44.2’W,100-107 m; C, D, Babelomurex sp. A aff. yamatoensis Kosuge, 1986, Banc Arago, BENTHAUS, stn DW 1969, 23°22’S, 150°43.2’W, 200-640 m; E, B. diadema (A. Adams, 1854), North coast of Rurutu, BENTHAUS, stn DW 1998, 22°24.8’S, 151°22.2’W, 250-302 m; F, G, B. santacruzensis Kosuge,1980,Banc NE of Rapa,BENTHAUS,stn DW 1904,27°26.5’S, 144°03.4’W,600-900 m; H, I, B. wormaldi (Powell, 1971), Banc Président Thiers, BENTHAUS, stn DW 1932,24°40.8’S, 146°01.5’W,500-800 m; J, K, B. sibogae (Shepman,1911),Banc Arago, BENTHAUS, stn DW 1973, 23°23.5’S, 150°43.9’W, 200-350 m. Scale bars: A, B, 5 mm; C-K, 10 mm.