Fulvia (Fulvia) colorata, Vidal & Kirkendale, 2007

Vidal, Jacques & Kirkendale, Lisa, 2007, Ten new species of Cardiidae (Mollusca, Bivalvia) from New Caledonia and the tropical western Pacific, Zoosystema 29 (1), pp. 83-107 : 89

Fulvia (Fulvia) colorata n. sp.

( Fig 3 A-C; Table 2)

TYPE MATERIAL. — Holotype: cv, 16.1 × 14.3 × 10.2 mm. Paratypes (2): cv, 16.4 × 14.0 × 10.9 mm; cv, 13.5 × 12.0 × 8.7 mm.

ETYMOLOGY. — Strongly coloured.

TYPE LOCALITY. — SALOMON 1, 2001, E of Guadalcanal, Solomon Islands, stn CP 1810, 9°47.7’S, 160°50.5’E, 53 m.

MATERIAL EXAMINED. — Philippines. PANGLAO 2004, Bohol Island, W of Baclayon, stn T6, 9°35.1’N, 123°51.2’E, 34-82 m, coarse muddy sand with large sponges, 2.VI.2004, 2 cv (paratypes) + 1 lv.

DISTRIBUTION. — Known from the Solomon and Philippines Islands.

DESCRIPTION

Shell small, subrectangular and rather elongate (L/H 0.89), almost symmetrical, with posterior margin almost straight in its middle.

Lunular area well-differentiated, smooth, slightly concave, with a significant, typically rounded lunular heart. Sublunule short and smooth.

External and internal coloration with numerous dense, brown small spots, more or less concentrically arranged and sometimes entirely white.

Ribs 45-55.

Ribs are higher and flatly rounded on the posterior third of the valve, with wider interstices compared with other shell regions and periostracal insertions largely restricted to the tops of the ribs. On the most median and anterior shell areas, ribs very low, almost flat and discernible by periostracal insertions present on posterior rib margin; interstices narrower than ribs.

Ocular organs present.

MICROHABITAT

The material from the Philippines was fresh dead and likely lived where it was collected, from 34-82 m in coarse muddy sands.

REMARKS

Fulvia colorata n. sp. differs from four small Fulvia found in this region ( F. undatopicta Pilsbry, 1904 , F. hungerfordi Sowerby, 1901 , F. scalata Vidal, 1994 , F. dulcis Deshayes, 1863 ) in three consistent gross morphological features. Fulvia colorata n. sp. 1) is more elongate and less inflated (L/H 0.85-0.89, compared with 0.94-1.16 for other four taxa, Table 9); 2) exhibits specific colour patterning of numerous densely-packed small brown spots that are never observed in these other taxa; and 3) completely lacks granulations, which all the other species possess to varying degrees. Fulvia colorata n. sp. also differs from another similar Fulvia from this region, F. lineonotata Vidal, 1994 , in being less elongate ( F. colorata n. sp. L/H 0.85-0.89, compared with 0.8-0.9, see Table 9) and possessing a much shorter sublunular area.

Figures

FIG. 3. — A-C, Fulvia colorata n. sp.; D-F, F. vepris n. sp.; G-I, F. subquadrata n. sp.; J-L, F. imperfecta n. sp. Scale bars: 5 mm.