Leptochiton liratellus (Iredale & Hull, 1925)

Sirenko, Boris, 2020, New Zealand and Australian species of the genus Leptochiton (Mollusca Polyplacophora), Zootaxa 4851 (3), pp. 401-449 : 440

Leptochiton liratellus (Iredale & Hull, 1925)

( Figure 46C )

This species is one of the few leptochitons that inhabits real tropical environments which is uncommon for the majority of species of the genus Leptochiton that usually inhabite cold and temperate waters. The species resembles the Australian L. sperandus and the New Zealand L. otagoensis by the tegmental sculpture. These three species have 50–55 radial ribs on head valves, 26–30 longitudinal rows of granules on the central areas, radial ribs on the lateral areas of the intermediate valves, and on the postmucronal area of the tail valve, as well as longitudinal rows on the antemucronal area of tail valve. The aesthete groups, the number of ribs on the dorsal girdle scales and the characters of the radula teeth of L. liratellus and L. otagoensis are currently unknown. Unfortunately there were no specimens of these two species available, thus, their relation to other Australian and New Zealand leptochitons, cannot clarified.

Figures

FIGURE 46. Images of type specimens: A. Leptochiton otagoensis, probably holotype (AM C.159221); B. L. sperandus, holotype (AM C.126815); C. L. liratellus, paratype AM C.149661); D. L. liratus, neotype (AM C.10410); E. L. opiparus, holotype (AM C.32026); F, G. L. subantarcticus, holotype (AM C.149662); H. L. columnarius, holotype (AM C.29060).