Leptochiton badius ( Hedley & Hull, 1909 )

Sirenko, Boris, 2020, New Zealand and Australian species of the genus Leptochiton (Mollusca Polyplacophora), Zootaxa 4851 (3), pp. 401-449 : 402-406

Leptochiton badius ( Hedley & Hull, 1909)

( Figures 1–4 , 45A )

Lepidopleurus badius Hedley & Hull 1909: 260 , pl. 73, figs. 1–2; Ashby 1918: 80; 1924a: 314; 1927: 93.

Terenochiton badius ; Iredale & Hull 1925: 340, pl. 39, figs. 1–2; Macpherson &

Gabriel 1962: 3, fig. 8.

Lepidopleurus glauerti Ashby 1929c: 50 , fig. 7; Wells 1977: 34.

Terenochiton iscus Cotton & Weeding 1939: 182 , pl. 7, fig. 1; Cotton & Godfrey 1940: 478, fig. 459; Cotton 1964: 19, fig. 9. Terenochiton glauerti ; Cotton 1964: 20, fig. 10.

Leptochiton (Leptochiton) badius ; Kaas & Van Belle 1985: 142, fig. 63, map 23; Gowlett-Holmes 2001: 72.

Type material. Syntypes ( AM C.30459 & SAMA D10668, D12532) .

Type locality. Australia, New South Wales, Sydney N, Collaroy, Long Reef, 33°44’36’’S, 151°18’36’’E .

Material examined. Australia, NSW, Sydney, Long Reef, 6 spms ( ZISP 2381 ), BL 3.0– 4.2 mm, 04.02.1928, leg. T. Iredale; Northern coast of Tasmania, 0.5 km E of Mersey River mouth, East Devonport , bottom of stones embedded in sand near low tide level, 7 spms ( ZISP 2382 ), BL 4.5–7.0 mm, 27.12.1982, leg. J. R. Penprase .

Distribution. Australia, from Point Cartwright, Queensland, to Spencer Gulf, S. Australia, and also near Robbins Island, NW. Tasmania, W. to Rottnest Id., W. Australia, intertidal (Iredale & Hull 1925; Kaas & Van Belle 1985).

Description. First studied specimen from Tasmania (BL 5.2 mm) has radula 1.4 mm long with about 160 transverse rows of mature teeth and 11 gills per side arranged from valve 6 to anus. Second studied specimen from Sydney, Long Reef (BL 4.0 mm), a topotype, has radula 1.5 mm long with about 165 transverse rows of mature teeth. The topotype differs from the Tasmanian specimen by having more ribs (up to 17) on dorsal scales. The species is characterized by: 1. raised granules arranged in longitudinal rows in central areas of intermediate valves and in antemucronal area of tail valve and in a random manner in other areas ( Fig. 1 ), 2. wide dorsal scales with wide bulbous base and 12–17 distinct, wide ribs ( Fig. 2 ), 3. radula with small numerous narrow teeth and 4. tridentate cusp of major lateral tooth of radula ( Fig. 3 ).

Remarks. Leptochiton badius belongs to the group of L. compostellanum Carmona Zalvide & Urgorri, 1999 that contains eight species ( Sirenko 2015; Sirenko & Sellanes 2016) (see more information in Discussion).

Figures

FIGURE 1. Leptochiton badius, Northern coast of Tasmania, BL 7.0 mm, (ZISP 2382). A. Valve I, dorsal view; B. Valve II, dorsal view; C. Valve V, dorsal view; D. Valve VIII, dorsal view; E. Valve V, rostral view; F. Valve V, tegmentum sculpture in central area; G. Valve VIII, lateral view; H. Valve VI, ventral view.

FIGURE 2. Leptochiton badius, Northern coast of Tasmania, BL 7.0 mm, (ZISP 2382). A, D. Dorsal, marginal and ventral scales and marginal needles; B. Dorsal scales; C. Dorsal scales and marginal needles.

FIGURE 3. Leptochiton badius, Northern coast of Tasmania, BL 7.0 mm, (ZISP 2382). A, B. Central portion of radula from anterior part.

FIGURE 4. Leptochiton badius, Northern coast of Tasmania, BL 7.0 mm, (ZISP 2382). A. Sutural needle; B. Dorsal scales; C. Marginal needle; D. Marginal spicule; E. Ventral scale near margin; F. Ventral scale from mid-girdle; G. Central tooth and first lateral teeth; H. Heads of major lateral teeth; I. Aesthete group in central area. Scale bar 50 μm.

FIGURE 45. Images of species of genus Leptochiton from New Zealand and Australia: A. L. badius, Australia, NSW, Sydney, Long Reef, BL 4.2 mm, (ZISP 2381) 04.02.1928; B. L. finlayi, New Zealand, N of Cavalli Islands, R/V Tangaroa, stn TAN0906/81, 115 m, BL 8.0 mm, (NMNZ M 314504); C. L. beui n. sp., New Zealand, Chatham Rise, 430 m, BL 3.5 mm, (NMNZ M 138100); D. L. inquinatus, New Zealand, Lyall Bay, Cook Strait, low tide, under stones, BL 10.0 mm, (ZISP; E. L. subantarcticus, New Zealand, South Island, shelf NE of Tiaroa Head, 50 m, BL 5.7 mm, (NMNZ M 319795).