Phos elegantissimus Hayashi & Habe, 1965

Fraussen, Koen, Galindo, Lee Ann & Rosado, José, 2020, Deep-water Photinae (Gastropoda: Nassariidae) from eastern Africa, with descriptions of five new species, European Journal of Taxonomy 720, pp. 144-169 : 146-148

Phos elegantissimus Hayashi & Habe, 1965

Fig. 1 A–C

Phos elegantissimum Hayashi & Habe, 1965: 11 , 14, pl. 1, fig. 4.

Antillophos elegantissimum – Kilburn, Marais & Fraussen 2010: 25.

Type locality

Japan, Mie Prefecture, mouth of Ise Bay, depth 100– 120 m.

Material examined

MOZAMBIQUE • 3 lv; North Quissico , in traps; depth 95–135 m; J. Rosado leg.; JR ( Fig. 1 A–B) • 1 dd; off Sofala Bank , ex-pisces; depth 120–140 m; J. Rosado leg.; JR ( Fig. 1 C ) .

Distribution

This species is known from the West Pacific, from southern Japan in the north to the Philippines in the south, and has also been recorded from South Africa by Kilburn et al. (2010: 25). We record this species from southern and central Mozambique.

Remarks

Phos elegantissimus is characterized by its rather broad shape with a conical spire in combination with striking red-brown spiral lines. The protoconch is large and purple. The body whorl is ornamented with fine primary spiral cords, which are red-brown coloured, with 3 to 7 fine, white, secondary cords in between. This species can be distinguished from all other known species of Phos by the combination of shell shape and pattern.

Phos (Greek, latinized to Phos , see Montfort 1810: 495) is masculine, as evidenced by the original combination in Montfort’s type species ( Phos senticosus ). The word ʻ elegantissimum ʼ is an adjective and it is therefore mandatory to correct the gender ending (to agree “with the generic name with which it is at any time combined” according to ICZN 31.2 and 34.2) to P. elegantissimus , as is also correctly done in the WoRMS database.

Figures

Fig. 1. A–C. Phos elegantissimus Hayashi & Habe, 1965. A–B. Specimen from Mozambique, off North Quissico, depth 95–135 m, in trap, 23.8 mm long (JR). C. Specimen from Mozambique, off Sofala Bank, ex-pisces, depth 120–140 m, 24.8 mm long (JR). — D–E. Phos gemmulifer Kilburn, 2000, NW Mayotte, Mozambique Channel, BIOMAGLO stn DW4848, 12°35′ S, 44°55′ E, depth 399–402 m, 28.1 mm long (MNHN 2013-69815). — F–I. Phos hirasei G.B. Sowerby III, 1913. F–G. Specimen from Mozambique, off Sofala Bank, 20°07′ S, 36°09′ E, ex-pisces, depth 120–130 m, 26.3 mm long (JR). H–I. Specimen from South Africa, off Transkei, Msikaba, dredged at 90–110 m, 25.7 mm long (KF 4692). — J–K. Phos laevis Kuroda & Habe, 1961, Madagascar, Campagne CREVETTIERE 1974 stn DC01, 12°39′ S, 48°16′ E, depth 240 m, 23.5 mm long (MNHN). Scale bars: 5.0 mm.