Vexillum (Protoelongata) dekkersi, Herrmann & Stossier & Salisbury, 2014

Herrmann, Manfred, Stossier, Günter & Salisbury, Richard, 2014, A new subgenus including three new species of the genus Vexillum (Gastropoda: Costellariidae) from the central Indo-Pacific with remarks on Vexillum (Pusia) semicostatum (ANTON, 1838), Contributions to Natural History 24, pp. 1-55 : 9-14

Vexillum (Protoelongata) dekkersi sp. nov.

( Figs 1 , 11–14 , 21–30 )

Vexillum semicostatum – Pechar, Prior & Parkinson (1980): plate 54, fig. 5 [non (ANTON, 1838)]

Vexillum (Pusia) species – Guillot de Suduiraut (2000): p. 11, fig. 21.

Vexillum (Pusia) species 1110 – Guillot de Suduiraut (2009).

Description

Slender, fusiform shell, shiny, reaching about 14 mm in length, width averages 27–32% of length. Elongated protoconch consists of 5 conoidal whorls. Teleoconch consists of 6 to 7 slightly convex whorls. Spire outline straight, first two to three whorls with axial ribs, remaining ribs smooth with fine axial striae seen under magnification. Body whorl and penultimate whorl sometimes with weak axial folds. Aperture shorter than half the entire shell, lirate inside. Lip straight in posterior half, then recurved towards the siphonal fasciole. Siphonal canal short, wide and slightly recurved. Columella with 4 strong folds, decreasing in size anteriorly. Folds merge into spiral cords when leaving the columellar shield, becoming weak at the siphonal fasciole.

Colour pattern: Shell colour deep red to orange. Protoconch yellowish translucent, first two to three whorls changing from yellowish orange to deep red, columellar folds and aperture reddish orange.

Animal: Siphon black with many, equal sized white or yellow spots, animal body black, with white spots and streaks, especially along the margin of the foot; foot greyish purple underneath with yellow margin, base of eyestalk black with white spots, eyestalk thick with a large black eye at the base, the upper portion of the eyestalk is semitransparent with fine white spots extending to the tip of the eyestalk.

Radula: see description of Protoelongata subgen. nov.

DNA: The sequence of the COI gene was analyzed in the MNHN and is registered in BOLD: http://www.boldsystems.org/index.php/Public_BarcodeIndexNumber_Home; BOLD Id: NEOGA265-10 and in GenBank: http://www.metalife.com/Genbank; GenBank accession number: KF671189 ).

With this most commonly used barcode region, a segment of approximately 600 base pairs of the mitochondrial gene cytochrome oxidase I, it will be possible to compare other species with V. (Protoelongata) dekkersi sp. nov. in the future.

Holotype: Philippines, Bohol, Panglao Island, Catarman (9°36'N, 123°52'E), reef slope with caves at 4–30 m, collected 2004, 12.4 mm x 3.8 mm, MNHN 27068 (sequenced as IM-2007-30242, BOLD Id: NEOGA265-10, GenBank accession number of the COI barcode fragment: KF671189 ).

Paratype 1: Philippines, Bohol, Balicasag Island , collected 2000, 11.7 x 3.3 mm, ah: 4.8 mm, MS 63760 ; paratype 2: Philippines, Bohol, Panglao Island, Looc , 09°35.8'N, 123°44.6'E, reef wall, 20 m, collected 2004, 11.1 x 3.3 mm, ah: 5.5 mm, MNHN 27069 ; paratype 3: Philippines, Bohol, Panglao Island, Doljo Point , 09°35.6'N, 123°43.2'E, reef slope, 24–27 m, collected 2004, 11.0 x 3.1 mm, ah: 5.4 mm, MNHN 27070 ; paratype 4: Philippines, Bohol, Balicasag Island , 140 m in sand, 11.9 x 3.9 mm, ex TB, NMBE 519549 ; paratype 5: Philippines, Bohol, Balicasag Island , 140–160 m in sand, 11.8 x 3.4 mm, TB ; paratype 6: Philippines, Bohol, Balicasag Island , tangle nets at 100 m, ex E. Guillot de Suduiraut, 11.0 mm, SG ; paratype 7: Philippines, Bohol, Balicasag Island , nets, 10.2 x 3.4 mm, JCM 8491 ; paratypes 8–9: Philippines, Bohol, Balicasag Island , lumun lumun nets, collected 2006, juvenile (#8: 8.5 x 3.0 mm, ah: 3.5 mm; #9: 7.4 x 2.7 mm, ah: 3.1 mm), MH ; paratypes 10–11: Philippines, Bohol, by tangle net of local fisherman, collected March 1997 (paratype 10: 11.0 mm x 3.4 mm, ah 5.0 mm ; paratype 11: 10.3 mm x 3.0 mm, ah 4.1 mm) MC ; paratype 12: Philippines, Cebu, Mactan Island , tangle nets, 12.5 x 3,5 mm, SIH ; paratype 13: Philippines, Cebu, 11.4 x 3.4 mm, ah: 4.9 mm, GS ; paratype 14: Philippines, Cebu, Mactan Island, Punta Engaño , tangle nets, 10.8 x 3.4 mm, ah: 4.8 mm, MH ; paratype 15: Philippines, Cebu, Mactan Island , 60 m in sand, 14.0 x 4.7 mm, TB ; paratype 16: Philippines, Cebu, Mactan Island , 50–120 m by net, 10.5 x 3.1 mm, AMD ; paratypes 17–18: Philippines, Cebu, Mactan Island, Punta Engaño , 100 m, from net fisherman, collected April 1980 (paratype 17: 10.5 mm x 3.2 mm ; paratype 18: 10.4 mm x 3.1 mm) RAS ; paratype 19: Philippines, Cebu, Mactan Island, Punta Engaño , shell nets at 60–200 m, 12.6 mm x 3.7 mm, ah 5.6 mm, MM ; paratype 20: Philippines, Calitoban Island , 100 m, collected 2005, 10.5 x 3.2 mm, AMD ; paratype 21: Philippines, Aliguay Island , trawled from 150 –250 m, 12.7 x 3.7 mm, ah: 6.0 mm MH ; paratype 22: Philippines, juvenile, 7.9 x 2.8 mm, ah: 3.7 mm, GS.

Additional material investigated: Shells from several other localities were also examined: Andaman Islands ( ANSP), southern Japan ( RAS), Guam ( AMD, SG, RAS – Fig. 27 ), Palau (SG – Fig. 28 ), Indonesia ( GS – Fig. 29 ), Solomon Islands ( MNHN – Fig. 30 , RAS), Marshall Islands (SG) and French Polynesia ( MB – Fig. 26 ). Shells from Palau are very similar to the specimens from the Central Philippines, but sometimes swollen folds on the penultimate and body whorls are present. Shells from the other locations are more orange than red in comparison with Philippine ones and notably the shells from Guam and French Polynesia are broader at the shell periphery. At the moment we cannot be certain whether those characteristics of specimens from other locations are intraspecific or belong to distinct species. Therefore we have excluded those shells from the type lot.

Type locality: Philippines, Bohol, Panglao Island.

Distribution: This species lives in the Central Philippines (Bohol, Cebu, Aliguay) in deep water (20 to 140 m depth). Shells have also been reported from the Andaman Islands, southern Japan, Guam, Palau, Indonesia (Celebes Sea), the Solomon and Marshall Islands, and French Polynesia (see "additional material investigated" above).

Etymology: This species is named in honour of Aart M. Dekkers, a good friend of the first author. He is interested in Strombidae , but also in Mitridae and Costellariidae . He is the author of Vexillum maduranum (2007) , V. johnwattsi (2011) , V. croceorbis (2013) , V. vangemerti (2014) and further species together with the first and third authors. In the Muzee Scheveningen, he found the specimen which is now designated as paratype 1 of this new species, in a lot together with other red coloured Mitridae from Balicasag Island. He also loaned shells of V. (Pr.) heleneae sp. nov. and other undescribed species to the authors for further investigation.

Discussion

Vexillum (Pr.) dekkersi sp. nov. is similar to V. (Pr.) corallinum ( REEVE, 1845) comb. nov. ( Figs. 31–35 ). Both species are deep red with the first whorls coloured lighter yellowish to orange. V. (Pr.) corallinum is larger (up to 22 mm vs. 14 mm), all whorls are strongly ribbed axially and spiral striae are clearly visible in the interspaces, whereas the new species has smooth whorls. This new species lacks spiral striae, only axial striae are seen under magnification. The shell of V. (Pr.) corallinum is more biconical than fusiform. There are large white blotches on the lower part of the axial ribs on the spire whorls and on the periphery of the body whorl. The white blotches vanish together with the strong axial ribbing on the last half to third of the body whorl. The white blotches are never seen in V. (Pr.) dekkersi sp. nov.

Vexillum (Pr.) dekkersi sp. nov. is also closely related to V. (Pr.) xerampelina ( MELVILL, 1895) comb. nov. ( Figs 40–41 ). Both species have uniformly red to orange coloured shells. V. (Pr.) xerampelina differs from the new species because it is larger (20 mm vs. 14 mm), broader, has a slightly concave instead of straight spire outline, strong axial ribs on all whorls and fine spiral striae in the interspaces, which are missing in V. (Pr.) dekkersi sp. nov. The new species has a very slender, deep red and shiny shell, whereas the typical colour for V. (Pr.) xerampelina is orange and is seldom a dark red to brownish colour.

V. (Pr.) xerampelina was described from Aden and is found throughout the Red Sea and Indian Ocean. V. (Pr.) dekkersi sp. nov. seems to be limited in its distribution to the Philippine Islands. Other locations are uncertain.

The new species has been confused with Vexillum (Pusia) semicostatum (ANTON, 1838) ( Figs 56–57 ), which differs from V. (Pr.) dekkersi sp. nov. in being brown in colour with large white spots on the later spire whorls and a narrow light peripheral band on the body whorl. The shell is more ovate and not as slender and the protoconch is paucispiral not elongated as is found in the new species and the new subgenus Protoelongata .

Figures

Plate 1: Vexillum (Protoelongata) subgen. nov., all figures 4.5 x Fig. 1: Vexillum (Protoelongata) dekkersi sp. nov., paratype 1, Philippines, Bohol, Balicasag Island, collected 2000, 11.7 mm, MS 63760. Fig. 2: Vexillum (Protoelongata) bilineatum (REEVE, 1845) comb. nov., Philippines, Cebu, dived 15–20 m, 20.6 mm, MH. Fig. 3: Vexillum (Protoelongata) xerampelina (MELVILL, 1895) comb. nov., holotype, Arabian Sea, Yemen, Aden, 18.8 mm, ex coll. E.R. Shopland; J.C. Melvill, NMW.1955.158.00429 (coll. Melvill-Tomlin). Fig. 4: Vexillum (Protoelongata) rubrotaeniatum sp. nov., paratype 9, Solomon Islands, Guadalcanal, Bonegi, collected Aug 1987 by F. Lorenz on rocks at night at 21 m, 13.8 mm, MH. Fig. 5: Vexillum (Protoelongata) corallinum (REEVE, 1845) comb. nov., Philippines, Bohol, Balicasag Island, 73–88 m, 17.5 mm, ex coll. Steinke, MH. Fig. 6: Vexillum (Protoelongata) heleneae sp. nov., holotype, Guam, Orote Point, Orote Cliffs, collected by R. Salisbury under a pile of rocks at 18 m, 7 Jan 1978, 17.2 mm, MNHN 27071. Fig. 7: Vexillum (Protoelongata) loyaltyense (HERVIER, 1897) comb. nov., Philippines, Cebu, Mactan Island, Punta Engaño, collected 2009 by lumun lumun net at 25–50 m, 10.3 mm, MH. Photos: Fig. 3 Harriet Wood (NMW), Fig. 6 Richard Salisbury, other photos Manfred Herrmann.

Plate 3: Vexillum (Protoelongata) dekkersi sp. nov. Figs 11–12: Philippines, Bohol, Panglao area, collected 2004. © MNHN.

Plate 4: Vexillum (Protoelongata) dekkersi sp. nov., holotype. Figs 13–14: SEM radula. Photos by Alexander Fedosov (SevIn).

Plate 8: Vexillum (Protoelongata) dekkersi sp. nov., all figures 6 x Fig. 21: Holotype, Philippines, Bohol, Panglao Island, Catarman (9°36'N, 123°52'E), reef slope with caves at 4–30 m, collected 2004, 12.4 mm, MNHN 27068. Fig. 22a–b: Paratype 1, Philippines, Bohol, Balicasag Island, collected 2000, 11.7 mm, MS 63760. Figs 23–24: Paratype 8, Philippines, Bohol, Balicasag Island, lumun lumun nets, collected 2006, juvenile, 8.5 mm, MH (fig. 24 detail of elongated protoconch). Fig. 25: Paratype 12, Philippines, Cebu, Mactan Island, tangle nets, 12.5 mm, SIH. Photos: Fig. 21 Barbara Buge & Philippe Maestrati (MNHN), Fig. 25 Shih I Huang, other photos Manfred Herrmann.

Plate 9: Vexillum (Protoelongata) dekkersi sp. nov., all figures 6 x Fig. 26: French Polynesia, Society Islands, Tahiti, Arue, outer slope, 20–30 m, 10.9 mm, MB. Fig. 27: Guam, Agat Bay, Anae Island, 14 m, under rocks in silt, collected Jan 1974 by Richard Salisbury, 14.1 mm, RAS. Fig. 28: Palau, Koror State, Ngherceu Island, Barnum Wall, 6 m at night in oceanside dropoff coralline cave, scuba collected 15 Nov 2009 by Sandro Gori, SG. Fig. 29: Indonesia, Celebes Sea, 01°22'21''N, 120°53'87''E, 8–40 m, 14.5 mm, GS. Fig. 30: Solomon Islands, Campagne SALOMON 1, N/O “Alis”, Station CP 1752 (9°06.9'S, 159°53.2'E), 896–912 m, collected 25 Sep 2001 by Bouchet/Dayrat/Warén, Richer IRD, MNHN. Photos: Fig. 26 Philippe Bacchet, Fig. 27 Richard Salisbury, Fig. 28 Sandro Gori, other photos Manfred Herrmann.

Plate 10: Vexillum (Protoelongata) corallinum (REEVE, 1845) comb. nov., figures 4 x Fig. 31: Holotype, Philippines, Masbate, found on the sands, 14.8 mm, NHMUK 1967727. Figs 32–33: Juvenile Specimen, Philippines, Bohol, Balicasag, lumun lumun nets, collected 2006, 6.8 mm, MH (fig. 33 detail of first whorls with elongated protoconch, 12 x). Fig. 34: Specimen, Philippines, Bohol, Balicasag Island, 73–88 m, 17.5 mm, ex coll. Steinke, MH. Fig. 35: Specimen, Australia, Queensland, Credlin Reef, dived up Jul 1997 from reef slope at 8 m at night, 17.1 mm, MH. Photos: Fig. 31 John Wolff, other photos Manfred Herrmann.

Plate 12: Vexillum (Protoelongata) xerampelina (MELVILL, 1895) comb. nov., all figures 3.5 x Fig. 40: Holotype, Arabian Sea, Yemen, Aden, 18.8 mm, ex coll. E.R. Shopland; J.C. Melvill, NMW.1955. 158.00429 (coll. Melvill-Tomlin). Fig. 41: Specimen, Mozambique, Nacala Bay, taken Oct 2006 by snorkel in coral sand at 1–2 m, 17.5 mm, MH. Fig. 42a–b: Specimen cf. V. (Pr.) xerampelina (MELVILL, 1895), Philippines, Cebu, Mactan Islands, collected May 1984 by shell nets, ex Ray Walker, 15.6 mm, NMBE 32379-2. Fig. 43: Specimen cf. V. (Pr.) xerampelina (MELVILL, 1895), Philippines, Bohol Strait, collected Jul 1991 by shell nets, 15.7 mm, NMBE 32378-2. Photos: Fig. 40 Harriet Wood (NMW), other photos Manfred Herrmann.

Plate 16: Vexillum (Pusia) species, all figures 7 x Fig. 56: Vexillum (Pusia) semicostatum (ANTON, 1838), Lectotype (designated herein), 8.7 mm, MTD 3152. Fig. 57: Vexillum (Pusia) semicostatum (ANTON, 1838), Indonesia, Sulawesi, Lembeh Island, collected 2005 by F. Lorenz, 7.0 mm, MH. Fig. 58: Syntype 2/3 of Vexillum (Pusia) semicostatum (ANTON, 1838) = Vexillum (Pusia) tusum (REEVE, 1845), excluded from the type lot MTD 3152, 5.9 mm, MTD. Fig. 59: Type figure of Mitra tusa REEVE, 1845, Philippines, Island of Mindoro, Puerto Galero. Fig. 60: Syntype 3/3 of Vexillum (Pusia) semicostatum (ANTON, 1838) = Vexillum (Pusia) tusum (REEVE, 1845), excluded from the type lot MTD 3152, 7.4 mm, MTD. Fig. 61: Vexillum (Pusia) tusum (REEVE, 1845), Philippines, Cebu, collected 2005, 8.1 mm, MH. Photos: Figs 56, 58, 60 Katrin Schniebs (MTD), Figs 57a–b, 61 Manfred Herrmann.