Archierato martinicensis ( Schilder, 1933 ) Fehse & Simone, 2020

Fehse, Dirk & Simone, Luiz Ricardo L., 2020, Contributions to the knowledge of the Eratoidae. X. Revision of the genus Archierato Schilder, 1933 (Mollusca: Gastropoda), Zootaxa 4851 (1), pp. 81-110 : 89-90

Archierato martinicensis ( Schilder, 1933) comb. nov.

( Figs. 21, 22 , 24–26 , 39 )

Erato maugeriae: Matthews & Matthews, 1976: 76 , text fig. 6 (non Gray in Sowerby, 1832).

Erato maugeriae: Sowerby, 1859 : fig. 8; Tryon, 1883: 9 (pl. 4, figs. 42, 43); Daccarett & Bossio, 2011: 85, 244, fig. 347 (non Gray in Sowerby I, 1832).

Erato maugeriae Reeve, 1865 : fig. 10 [preoccupied by Gray in Sowerby I, 1832].

Hespererato maugeriae martinicensis Schilder, 1933: 249 , 254, 267 (fig. 45); Allan, 1956: 144.

Erato (Hespererato) maugeriae: Warmke & Abbott, 1961: 90 (pl. 23, fig. c) (non Gray in Sowerby I, 1832).

Hespererato martinicensis: Cate, 1977: 361 (figs. 43, 43a); Fehse & Landau, 2002: 100, text figs. 5.

Hespererato maugeriae: Redfern, 2001: 54 , pl. 27, fig. 231; Simone, 2004: 122 (figs. 44, 100, 415−427) (non Gray in Sowerby I, 1832).

Holotype. NMW.1955.158.01218; Melvill-Tomlin coll., ex leg. H.B. Preston. L 4.5 mm, W 2.7 mm, CT 12, LT 15.

Type locality. Martinique, Lesser Antilles.

Etymology. Named after the type locality.

Original description ( Schilder 1933: 267). “ martinicensis , nov., Hespererato . Closely allied to maugeriae , but usually smaller, labral teeth more close and numerous, spire distinctly tinged with yellow to reddish, anterior extremity tinged with green to pink of a deeper hue than the dorsum; … Type from Martinique (coll. Tomlin …) ...”

Diagnosis. Shell mid-sized with length 4 to 5 mm, robust, sub-triangular, with slightly distant, coarse, obscured labral and irregular, less developed columellar dentition; ventral fold thickened, 15 labral and 12 columellar teeth; maximum globosity at posterior third.

Description. Shell mid-sized, sub-triangular, with elevated spire. Protoconch and subsequent whorls covered by thin callus. Suture slightly indistinct. Body whorl ~90% of total height, maximum diameter at posterior third, convexly tapered anteriorly. Anterior ventral margin indented. Dorsum rounded. Dorsal sulcus absent. Whole shell surface covered by very thin, sub-glossy callus. Aperture comprises ~85% of total height, straight and narrow. Labrum narrow, thickened, smooth, rounded ventrally. Outer labral margin rounded, callused, roundly edged at inner margin. Labral teeth coarse, less developed, slightly distant, 15 in number, restricted to labral edge. Siphonal canal short, narrowed, rounded, slightly protruded. Anal canal simple, blunt. Columella almost straight, curved without inner carinal ridge and slightly developed parietal lip. Columellar denticles 12 in number, irregular, somewhat obscured, spaced, anterior most forming terminal ridge, posterior most enlarged, projecting. Fossula obscured, not delimited from the columella. Callosities white; dorsum, tips of canals and protoconch and first whorls pale greybrown.

Variability. This pale taxon with its narrow labrum and simple shell outline is quite distinctive because of the uniform shell morphology. Only the inflation of the shells and the elevation of the spire varies slightly as usual.

Distribution. Florida, U.S.A. to Venezuela. ‘ Martinique Island, Lesser Antilles, Windward Islands …’ ( Cate, 1977: 361); ‘North Carolina; … Georgia …’ ( Simone, 2004: 125).

Examined material. U.S.A.: Pompano Beach, E Florida ( DFB 5862 ). Guadeloupe: MNHN , loc. GD04, Grand Cul-de-Sac Marin, 16°23.2’N, 061°32.4’W, Guadeloupe, dredged 70 m; MNHN , loc. GS31, face Ilet Fajou, Grand Cul-de-Sac Marin, 16°21.6’N, 61°34.7’W, Guadeloupe, dredged 29 m. MNHN , loc. GD04 ( MNHN IM-2012-4218 ), GS31 ( MNHN IM-2012-4231 ). E Honduras: Guanajas, Roatan ( DFB 5863 ). E Panama: Bocas del Toro, Gulf of Mosquito ( DFB 7626 ). Venezuela: Maiquetía, Federal District ( DFB 7628 ) .

Remarks. Tryon (1883: 9, pl. 4, fig. 42, 43) showed a specimen from the “West Indies”. He mentioned ‘gray or livid’ as shell coloration. Therefore, it seemingly is Archierato martinicensis because Archierato maugeriae is more colorful.

Schilder’s (1933: 267) description indicates a really colorful species—“spire distinctly tinged with yellow to reddish, anterior extremity tinged with green to pink of a deeper hue than the dorsum”. However, the holotype is a very pale specimen. Schilder’s mistake possibly is caused because he has not examined the type specimen of A. maugeriae nor the holotype of his own species. Schilder distinguished A. martinicensis from A. maugeriae and wrote, “…but usually smaller, labral teeth closer and numerous …” All these features are inappropriate in distinguishing both species, but A. martinicensis is easily distinguishable from the other Caribbean species by the sub-triangular instead rhombic shell outline, the pale colored shell, straight aperture, rounded dorsum, the narrower labrum and the protruded anterior terminal tip (compare text fig. 4).

Simone (2004: 122, figs. 44, 100, 415–427) examined a shell from off North Carolina, 32°49’30”N, 78°39’48”W, U.S.A., USNM 850687 , collected at 34 m, that generally resembles A. martinicensis but differs by the pointed apex and the developed labral denticles .

Figures

FIGURES 21–23. Archierato type specimens. 21. Archierato martinicensis (Schilder, 1933) holotype NMW 1955.158.01218, L 4.5 mm, Martinique, Lesser Antilles, Windward Island (courtesy: H. Wood). 22. A. martinicensis paratype CS 3611, L 4.7 mm (same place). 23. Archierato dalli (Morretes, 1941) holotype MZSP 10627 L 4.5 mm, between Bertioga and Santos, São Paulo State, Brazil.

FIGURES 24–26. Archierato martinicensis (Schilder, 1933) specimens. 24. DFB 7626-1, L 3.7 mm, Bocas Toro, Gulf of Mosquito, E. Panama. 25. A. martinicensis DFB 7626-4, L 3.4 mm (same place). 26. DFB7628-2, L 3.8 mm, Maiquetia, Federal District, Venezuela.

FIGURES 36–41. Comparison of the W Atlantic Archierato species (the shells are equally sized for better comparison, consider, e.g., Tab. 1 for their real dimension). 36. A. guadeloupensis, holotype. 37. A. dalli, holotype. 38. A. dalli, off Florianópolis, Santa Catarina State, Brazil. 39. A. martinicensis, holotype. 40. A. maugeriae, lectotype. 41. A. janae, holotype.