Maxacteon, Rudman, 1971

Valdés, Ángel, 2008, Deep-sea “ cephalaspidean ” heterobranchs (Gastropoda) from the tropical southwest Pacific, Mémoires du Muséum national d'Histoire naturelle 196, pp. 587-792 : 605-606

Genus MAXACTEON Rudman, 1971

Maxacteon Rudman, 1971c: 207-208 .

Type species: Maxacteon hancocki Rudman, 1971 [Recent, New Zealand], by original designation.

DIAGNOSIS. — Shell morphology. Shell external, solid, oval; spire short. Aperture longitudinal, anteriorly rounded. Inner lip thickened. Columella with a single fold. Operculum present.

Anatomy. Headshield with a large pair of posteriorly projected lobes and a small pair of laterally projected extensions. Radula composed of numerous teeth with a triangular base and a very elongate cusp.

REMARKS. — Rudman (1971c) introduced the genus Maxacteon for species of Acteonidae with a single columellar fold on the shell, lateral extensions on the headshield, and a radula with numerous lateral teeth with long cusps. At the same time, he considered that the related genus Punctacteon Habe, 1961 was not validly introduced. Habe (1976) maintained Punctacteon as a valid name and a senior synonym of Maxacteon . I here follow Rudman’s opinion as it constitutes the most recently published.

I here maintain Maxacteon as a valid genus for all species with lateral teeth with elongate cusps and a columellar fold.