Coralliophila xenophila, Oliverio, 2008

Oliverio, Marco, 2008, Coralliophilinae (Neogastropoda: Muricidae) from the southwest Pacific, Mémoires du Muséum national d'Histoire naturelle 196, pp. 481-586 : 501-503

Coralliophila xenophila n. sp.

Figs 21-25, 154

TYPE MATERIAL. — Holotype (lv) MNHN 20204 and 9 paratypes (lv) MNHN 20205 .

TYPE LOCALITY. — Vanuatu, 15°10’S, 167°14’E, 394-421 m [MUSORSTOM 8: stn CP 1087] .

MATERIAL EXAMINED. — Only known from the type material.

DISTRIBUTION. — Only known from the type locality ( Vanuatu), all specimens live in 394-421 m, associated with a hormathiid sea-anemone adhering to a specimen of Xenophora pallidula (Reeve, 1842) .

FIGS 21-27. Teleoconchs of Coralliophila s.l. 21, Coralliophila xenophila n. sp., holotype MNHN 20204, MUSORSTOM 8 stn CP 1087, H 16.7 mm; 22, 23, paratype MNHN 20205, same data, H 16.8 mm; 24, 25, paratype MNHN 20205, still in position on the Xenophora cf. pallidula shell, near a living hormathiid sea-anemone, MUSORSTOM 8 stn CP 1087. 26, C. cancellarioidea n. sp., holotype MNHN 20206, BATHUS 2 stn DW 720, H 21.5 mm; 27, paratype MNHN 20207, SMIB 4 stn DW 59, H 23.2 mm.

DESCRIPTION. — Shell of medium size for the genus, height 16.7 mm, width 10.5 mm, thin, weakly inflated, ovateconical in shape.

Protoconch of 1.7 whorls, 510 Μm high, 720 Μm wide at base. The first 0.8 whorls covered by pustules over the entire surface. Two keels on remaining part, with tubercles over each keel. Final part of protoconch with slightly opisthocline axial threads.

Teleoconch of 5.5 whorls. Spire conical, with very weakly concave sides, suture incised. Last whorl about 3/5 of total height, roundly inflated, with a concave basal outline, base constricted. Aperture oval, wide. Outer lip finely crenulated, simple. Inner lip gently arcuate, callous. Siphonal canal moderately long, open; umbilical area narrow, with imbricate fasciole, umbilicus narrrowly open. Teleoconch sculpture of closely set spiral cords scarcely elevated, with minute, densely packed imbricate scaly spines. Two cords on first whorl. Cords of alternate strength. Additional cords appearing as intermediate cordlets on successive whorls, gradually increasing in size. A total of 18 primary and 9 secondary cords on the last whorl and 7 primary cords above aperture. Axial sculpture of prosocline ribs, of increasing width, but tending to become reduced on last whorl. Eight ribs on last whorl, 12-14 on preceeding ones. Intersection with spiral sculpture giving a rather clathrate appearance. Microsculpture of fine spiral threads over scaly spines.

Ground colour ivory white with an orange-brownish sutural band; inside aperture bright white. Animal unknown. Operculum chestnut brown, oval, with latero-terminal nucleus.

REMARKS. — Coralliophila xenophila is similar to C. squamosissima ( Smith, 1876) but C. bathus has finer sculpture, a pear-like shape, a less constricted base, and is larger. Coralliophila solutistoma Kuroda & Shikama, 1966 is rather variable in shape but is consistently more fusiform, has coarser sculpture and a narrower aperture, and occurs in association with sea fans. Coralliophila suduirauti Smriglio & Mariottini, 2003 , which has also been found in Vanuatu, is more globose and has broader and less squamose spiral cords. Coralliophila inflata (Dunker, 1847) , C. hotei (Kosuge, 1985) and C. miyukiae (Kosuge, 1985) all have a higher spire. The association of a coralliophilid with a sea-anemone epizoic on a vagile host is here reported for the first time, along with two similar unpublished records from the Mediterranean: Coralliophila meyendorffii ( Calcara, 1845) on Adamsia palliata Johnston, 1847 (epizoic on a crabbed shell of Fasciolaria lignaria ( Linné, 1758) , inhabited by the hermit crab Pagurus prideauxi Leach, 1815 ; MO unpublished) and Coralliophila panormitana ( Monterosato, 1869) on Calliactis parasitica (Couch, 1842) (epizoic on crabbed shells of Hexaplex trunculus ( Linné, 1758) , pagurid undetermined, possibly either Dardanus arrossor (Herbst, 1796) or Pagurus oculatus (Fabricius, 1775) ; P. Mariottini pers. comm.).

ETYMOLOGY. — The epithet xenophila (a composite word, from the generic names Xenophora and Coralliophila , used as an adjective) refers to the strange association between the coralliophiline, the xenophorid and the hormathiid sea-anemone. Also, the Latin adjective xenophilus, - a, - um, means friend of the stranger; hence, living on something strange, foreign.