Vexillum (Protoelongata) bilineatum ( REEVE, 1845 ) 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 : 16-17

Vexillum (Protoelongata) bilineatum ( REEVE, 1845) comb. nov.

( Figs 2 , 8, 36–39 )

Description

Ovate shell with acuminate spire, shiny, reaching about 22 mm in length. Elongated protoconch consists of 4 to 5 whitish, opaque, convex whorls. Teleoconch with 9 to 10 slightly convex whorls. Spire outline straight, first whorls smooth, body whorl and penultimate whorl often 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 and nearly straight. Columella with 4 strong folds, decreasing in size anteriorly. Folds merge into weak spiral cords when leaving the columellar shield and cover the siphonal fasciole.

Colour pattern: Shell colour blackish brown, becoming lighter brown in faded shells, first three to four whorls grey-white. One yellow line at the periphery of the spire whorls, two yellow lines on body whorl, columellar folds greyish on dark columellar shield, aperture like outer shell.

Animal: Siphon black with many, equal-sized white spots, animal body black, with white spots and streaks and yellow margin, base of eyestalk black with white spots, eyestalk thick with a black eye at the base, upper portion of the eyestalk semitransparent with fine white spots.

Syntype 1/3: NHMUK 1888.1.9. 20; 16.5 mm .

Type locality: unknown.

Distribution: Indo-Pacific from Réunion ( Robin & Martin 2004) and Mauritius ( Turner 1989) to the Maldives ( Turner & al. 2007) and further to the Philippines ( Poppe & al. 2008), Guam ( Salisbury 1999) and Japan ( Okutani 2000; fig. 82 Pusia sp.).

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 11: Vexillum (Protoelongata) bilineatum (REEVE, 1845) comb. nov., all figures 5 x Fig. 36a–b: Syntype 1/3, unknown locality, 16.5 mm, NHMUK 1888.1.9.20. Fig. 37: Juvenile Specimen, Guam, Orote Point, Orote Cliffs, scuba dived April 1979 under a huge pile of boulders at 17 m by Richard Salisbury, 9.0 mm, RAS. Fig. 38: Type figure of Mitra bilineata REEVE, 1845. Fig. 39: Specimen, Philippines, Cebu, dived 15–20 m, 20.6 mm, MH. Photos: Fig. 36 John Wolff, Fig. 37 Richard Salisbury, Fig. 39 Manfred Herrmann.