Satsuma kanoi, Wu & Hwang & Lin, 2008

Wu, Shu-Ping, Hwang, Chung-Chi & Lin, Yao-Sung, 2008, Systematic revision of the arboreal snail Satsuma albida species complex (Mollusca: Camaenidae) with descriptions of 14 new species from Taiwan, Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society 154 (3), pp. 437-493 : 477-478

SATSUMA KANOI SP. NOV. ( FIGS 31 , 32 )

Ganesella ( albida var.?) kasyotonis Kuroda & Kano in Kuroda, 1941 (nomen nudum)

Ganesella kasyotonis, Kuroda, 1958 (nomen nudum) Satsuma albida kasyotonis, Hsieh et al., 2006: 232 .

Material examined

Type specimen: Holotype: TMMT 0610 (from type locality, dry shell, tissue in alcohol). Seven paratypes: all from type locality, TMMT 0662 (dry shell, tissue in alcohol, dissected); TMMT 0660–0661 (dry shell, tissue in alcohol); BMNH 20060767–20060768 , ANSP 413685 , SMF 329392 (dry shell).

Additional material: Nishinomiya Shell Museum, Japan NCKG 3310: five dry, immature shells, collected by T. Kano from Kasyoto Island (Lutao Island) in 1937.

Type locality

Mt Huoshaoshan , Ludao Island, Taitung County, eastern Taiwan ( Fig. 1 , Table 1)

Diagnosis

Shell and soft body yellowish without pedal stripe; pre-apertural constriction present behind outer lip; shell large; number of whorls seven.

Etymology

The name is dedicated to Mr Tadao Kano (1906– 1945), a Japanese explorer and naturalist; he devoted his life to field investigations and disappeared in the rainforest of southern Asia. Mr Kano was the first collector of this species.

Description

Shell ( Fig. 31 ): Dextral, conical, hard, rigid, medium sized to large. Apex obtuse. Whorls inflated. Periphery bluntly angulated to arc-like. Base inflated. Preapertural constriction present behind outer lip only. Shell colour faint yellow. Periostracum thin. Surface smooth, with fine axial and spiral striae. Aperture diagonal, ovate. Junction between outer lip and inferior lip angulated curved. Peristome thin, expanded at inferior lip and outer lip. Inferior lip curved downward. Columellar lip subvertical, reflected. Umbilicus mostly covered by columellar lip, crevice-like. Junction between columellar lip and inferior lip obtusely angulated.

Band or stain: Band or stain is not present. Band formula = 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0.

Reproductive system ( Fig. 32 ): Bursa stalk long, tapering. Bursa copulatrix clavated. Proximal vagina muscular, swollen, smooth, with 13–18 internal folds; middle vaginas constricted, slender, muscular; distal vagina short, one-twentieth length of vagina, as wide as or wider than middle vagina, internally with wide and low folds or finely corrugated only. Flagellum short, swollen at base, with suddenly constricted, short and digitate tip. Penial caecum moderately long, conical; cecal pilasters two to three in number, strong, not well merged into principal pilaster; remaining inner walls contain 8–15 weak ridges. Proximal penis long, muscular, twisted, unevenly furrowed externally, with long principal pilaster lengthened twice that of the cecal pilaster. Proximal penis with 15–22 weak ridges; middle penis constricted, slender, with six irregularly strong, corrugated and wiggly pilasters inside; distal penis of same strength as middle penis, with five to six strong and smooth internal pilasters. Spinules present in penial caecum, proximal penis and vagina. Two individuals were dissected.

Distribution

The species distributed only in Ludao Island, off Taitung County, eastern Taiwan ( Fig. 1 , Table 1).

Remarks

Perching distance from the ground is 2 m to the canopy. Animals were often found inhabiting banyan trees ( Fig. 31E ). Satsuma kanoi has the largest shell dimensions and number of whorls amongst this group. Furthermore, it is confined to Ludao Island and is not sympatric with any species of this group. This species is morphologically and phylogenetically close to S. luteolella but differs from the latter in having pre-apertural constriction, larger shell size, greater number of whorls and short distal vagina.

Figures

Figure 1. Sampling localities of all taxa in Taiwan. Bold line, Central Range; thin line, administrative boundary.

Figure 31. Satsuma kanoi sp. nov. A–D, holotype (TMMT 0610, shell height = 29.7 mm). E, living specimen. Arrow indicates the pre-apertural constriction.

Figure 32. Reproductive system of Satsuma kanoi sp. nov. (paratype, TMMT 0662). A, whole genitalia; B, interior of genitalia. Scale bar = 5 mm. See text for abbreviations.