Babelomurex wormaldi ( Powell, 1971 )

Oliverio, Marco, 2009, Diversity of Coralliophilinae (Mollusca, Neogastropoda, Muricidae) at Austral Islands (South Pacific), Zoosystema 31 (4), pp. 759-789 : 776

Babelomurex wormaldi ( Powell, 1971) ( Fig. 7H, I )

Latiaxis wormaldi Powell, 1971: 220 , figs 15, 16.

Latiaxis fenestratus Kosuge, 1980: 42 , pl. 10, figs 10, 11.

TYPE MATERIAL. — Latiaxis wormaldi : holotype ( AIM AM71329 ; Kosuge & Suzuki [1985: pl. 33, fig. 2] figured this specimen labelled AIM TM1329 ) .

Latiaxis fenestratus : holotype ( IMT 80-10 ) and paratypes ( IMT 80-11 ; not examined), figured by Kosuge & Suzuki (1985: pl. 17, figs 8 [holotype], 9 [paratype]; pl. 33, fig. 3 [paratype]) .

TYPE LOCALITY. — Latiaxis wormaldi: ESE of Poor Knights Islands, northeastern New Zealand, 329 m.

Latiaxis fenestratus: Off Mactan , Cebu Island, Philippines.

MATERIAL EXAMINED. — The type material of Latiaxis wormaldi and: BENTHAUS, stn DW 1998, North coast of Rurutu, 22°24.8’S, 151°22.2’W, 250-302 m, 1 dd. — Stn DW 1932, Banc Président Thiers, 24°40.8’S, 146°01.5’W, 500-800 m, 1 dd ( Fig. 7H, I ).

DISTRIBUTION. — Philippines and the SW Pacific, to north-eastern New Zealand.Norfolk Ridge, New Hebrides Arc and Tonga, empty shells in 360-650 m depth, alive in 440-508 m ( Oliverio 2008b). Austral Islands, empty shells in 302- 500 m.

REMARKS

Protoconch of 2.8 conical whorls, 635 µm high, 700 µm wide at the base. Protoconch I of about one whorl, sculptured with pustules over the entire surface. Protoconch II of about 1.8 whorls, with two spiral keels, and sculptured with a series of subsutural threads and a series of nodulose threads over each keel; a diffuse granulation is present in the interspaces.

Figures

FIG. 7. — A, B, Rhizochilus antipathum Steenstrup, 1850, Banc Arago, BENTHAUS,stn DW 1985,23°26.3’S, 150°44.2’W,100-107 m; C, D, Babelomurex sp. A aff. yamatoensis Kosuge, 1986, Banc Arago, BENTHAUS, stn DW 1969, 23°22’S, 150°43.2’W, 200-640 m; E, B. diadema (A. Adams, 1854), North coast of Rurutu, BENTHAUS, stn DW 1998, 22°24.8’S, 151°22.2’W, 250-302 m; F, G, B. santacruzensis Kosuge,1980,Banc NE of Rapa,BENTHAUS,stn DW 1904,27°26.5’S, 144°03.4’W,600-900 m; H, I, B. wormaldi (Powell, 1971), Banc Président Thiers, BENTHAUS, stn DW 1932,24°40.8’S, 146°01.5’W,500-800 m; J, K, B. sibogae (Shepman,1911),Banc Arago, BENTHAUS, stn DW 1973, 23°23.5’S, 150°43.9’W, 200-350 m. Scale bars: A, B, 5 mm; C-K, 10 mm.