Leptoconchus inscutaria, Gittenberger, 2011

Gittenberger, Adriaan Gittenberger Edmund, 2011, Cryptic, adaptive radiation of endoparasitic snails: sibling species of Leptoconchus (Gastropoda: Coralliophilidae) in corals, Organisms Diversity & Evolution 11 (1), pp. 21-41 : 38

Leptoconchus inscutaria sp. nov.

( Figs. 3 , 18–20)

Etymology. The specific epithet reflects that the species has been found exclusively in corals of Fungia (Lobactis) scutaria . For the purposes of nomenclature, it is herewith declared (under ICZN 1999 Article 26) as not to be treated as a Greek, Latin or latinized word; thus, the spelling presented here is to remain unchanged.

Type material. Holotype female ( RMNH 102759 *), found in the mushroom coral Fungia (Lobactis) scutaria ; Indonesia, Bali, Nusa Penida , N of Tukad Adegan, 08°40′ 32″S 115°31′18″E.

Paratypes. Indonesia. Bali: Sanur, Penjor Point , 08°41′ 36″S 115°16′20″E ( RMNH 102760 /1sh: m, 102761/3sn: 2m&f+e, 102762/1sn: m); Nusa Dua, E, of Club Med Hotel, N of channel, 08°47′06″S 115°13′57″E ( RMNH 102763 /1sh: f); Tanjung Benoa, Loloan Benoa, 08°45′46″S 115°14′01″E ( RMNH 102764 /1sn: f+e, 102765/1sn: m, 1sh: f); Tulamben Beach, “Coral garden”, 08°16′36″S 115° 35′37″ ( RMNH 102766 /3sn: m&2f+e); Tulamben Beach, SE end, drop-off, 08°16′40″S 115°35′45″E ( RMNH 102767 /1sn: f+e); W Nusa Penida, Teluk Penida, 08°42′ 54″S 115°27′26″E ( RMNH 102768 /1sn: f+e) .

N Sulawesi: off Manado, Siladen Island, 01°37′37″N 124°48′01″E ( RMNH 90050 /1sn: f+e); off Manado, Bunaken Island , 01°37′37″N 124°48′01″E ( RMNH 90065 */1sn: f+e); N Lembeh Strait, E Lembeh Island , 01° 30′01″N 125°15′39″E ( RMNH 102742 /6sn: 3m &3f+e) .

SW Sulawesi, Spermonde Archipelago: W Bone Tambung Island , 05°02′05″S 119°16′16″E ( RMNH 90019 */1sn: f) .

Diagnosis. Among the Leptoconchus species with reduced and variable morphological characters and associated with fungiid corals, L. inscutaria sp. nov. is differentiated by a unique combination of nucleotides in the Cytochrome Oxidase I barcoding sequence ( GB: EU215857–EU215859), as indicated by underlined letters in Fig. 48 .

Shell. Holotype female (Figs. 18, 19) H 13.9 mm, W 15.9 mm; columellar callus covering most of surface of last whorl; lower part of outer lip with obtuse angle. Some female shells and most male ones have brownish dots. H and W of largest female shell 17.0 mm and 17.5 mm, respectively, versus 11.6 mm and 7.4 mm for largest male. Figured male specimen (Fig. 20) H 7.3 mm, W 5.1 mm. Apical part of female shell protrudes distinctly above apertural edge (Fig. 18), apex of male shell protrudes less conspicuously (Fig. 20).

Habitat. The snails and their egg capsules were found at 5–15 m depth, exclusively with the mushroom coral species Fungia (Lobactis) scutaria Lamarck, 1801 . The siphon pores are located on the upper side of the corals.

Distribution. Leptoconchus inscutaria occurs in Indonesia, from Sulawesi to Bali. Massin’ s (1992) OTU4 from NE Papua New Guinea might represent the same species.

Figures

Fig. 3 Cytochrome Oxidase I phylogeny reconstruction of fungiidassociated Leptoconchus species, showing strict consensus of five trees, i.e. the two most parsimonious trees resulting from a heuristic search, and the three 50% consensus trees with compatible groupings

Fig. 48 Partial Cytochrome Oxidase I sequences for 14 species of Leptoconchus; for each species, the respective combination of underlined nucleotides is considered diagnostic