Paradentalium choneides, Scarabino & Scarabino, 2010

Scarabino, Victor & Scarabino, Fabrizio, 2010, A new genus and thirteen new species of Scaphopoda (Mollusca) from the tropical Pacific Ocean, Zoosystema 32 (3), pp. 409-423 : 410-411

Paradentalium choneides n. sp.

( Fig. 1 A-D)

TYPE MATERIAL. — Fiji. South of Viti Levu, MUS ORSTOM 10, stn DW 1388, 18°19’S, 178°02’E, 313-446 m, 1 dd holotype ( MNHN 22766). — Stn CP 1390, 18°19’S, 178°05’E, 234-361 m, 1 lv paratype ( MNHN 22767).

TYPE LOCALITY. — Fiji, south of Viti Levu, 18°19’S, 178°02’E, 313-446 m (MUSORSTOM 10, stn DW 1388).

ETYMOLOGY. — From the Greek chone, choneides meaning “as a funnel”, to highlight the apical callus shape.

MATERIAL EXAMINED. — Only type material known.

DISTRIBUTION. — Fiji. Live in 234- 361 m.

DESCRIPTION

Shell 15.7 mm long, solid, slightly curved, white and polished.Outline irregularly defined by marked growth lines.Six high, smooth, round-edged ribs fading but not disappearing towards anterior aperture except for the dorsal rib that remains clear. Intercostal spaces smooth, straight to concave at apex area to slightly convex at anterior aperture, no secondary ribs. Ribs protruding slightly at apex where there is a funnel-type callus. Shell section hexagonal. Anterior aperture straight, thin-walled, roughly hexagonal in section. Measurements of holotype: L 15.7, W 1.6, w 0.5, arc 0.5 at 9.2 from apex.

REMARKS

The main characters of Paradentalium choneides n. sp. are the protruding ribs at the apex and the funnel-type callus, newly observed for the genus. This apical characteristic is similar to that of the gadilid genus Entalinopsis Habe, 1957 . Paradentalium choneides n. sp. resembles P. intercalatum (Gould, 1859) and P. gradile Chistikov, 1979 in overall outline, but P. choneides n. sp. is narrower, the intercostal spaces are smooth instead of longitudinally sculptured and have no secondary ribs, in contrast to the other species (see Chistikov 1979; Scarabino 1995).Another related species, P.hexagonum (Gould, 1859) , is larger, and more curved and tapering (see Scarabino 1995: fig. 28g, h).