Limaria (Limatulella), 1898

Raines, Bret & Huber, Markus, 2012, 3217, Zootaxa 3217, pp. 1-106 : 46-47

Limaria (Limatulella) sp.

Figures 23 A–C

Limaria parallela (Dall et al.) — DiSalvo et al., 1988: p. 459.

Material examined. One live taken specimen and two single valves (5 to 9 mm) (BK).

Diagnosis. Shell small, less than 10 mm, obliquely-ovate, equivalve, thin and fragile. Valves oblique, moderately inflated and not gaping. Exterior surface consisting of numerous (ca. 35) fine radial ribs, crossed by fine commarginal striae. Color translucent white.

Remarks. Limatulella encompasses species related to Limaria s.s. It is smaller, somewhat less ventricose, thinner, with very numerous radial ribs, but with closed or nearly closed valves.

The limatulellid shape, the small size, the inflation and the non-gaping structure place this species in Limatulella . No respective species is known from the Hawaiian Islands, but two larger species Limaria (Limatulella) amakusaensis ( Habe, 1960) , L. viali (Jousseaume in Lamy 1919), are known from the Indo-Pacific and Japan. Unfortunately, the minute size, limited material and the barely known variability of its congeners makes a comparison or a new description exceedingly difficult. The Limaria (Promantellum) parallela ( Fig. 23 B) recorded by DiSalvo et al. (1988) is not L. (P.) parallela at all, but it is consistent with the subgenus Limatulella .

Habitat. Currently only found off the western coastline of EI, in sand and rubble, from 20–150 m. One live taken specimen collected at 100 m.

Distribution. At present this Limaria (Limatulella) sp. is only known from Easter Island— E1.