Babelomurex pallox, Oliverio, 2008

Oliverio, Marco, 2008, Coralliophilinae (Neogastropoda: Muricidae) from the southwest Pacific, Mémoires du Muséum national d'Histoire naturelle 196, pp. 481-586 : 534-536

Babelomurex pallox n. sp.

Figs 78-80, 177

TYPE MATERIAL. — Holotype (dd) MNHN 20220 and 17 paratypes (dd) MNHN 20221-20231 .

TYPE LOCALITY. — Norfolk Ridge , 24°46’S, 168°08’E, 241-245 m [SMIB 8: stn DW 159] .

MATERIAL EXAMINED. — Norfolk Ridge . SMIB 4: stn DW stn CP 1676, 24°43’S, 168°09’E, 227-232 m, 1 dd (paratype 44, 24°46’S, 168°08’E, 270-300 m, 1 dd (coated for SEM). — MNHN 20227 ); stn DW 1679, 24°43’S, 168°10’E, 298-324 m, LITHIST: stn DW 13, 23°45’S, 168°17’E, 400 m, 1 dd . — SMIB 3 dd (paratypes MNHN 20228 ); stn DW 1680, 24°45’S, 8: stn DW 154, 24°45’S, 168°08’E, 235-252 m, 2 dd (paratypes 168°10’E, 385-392 m, 1 dd (paratype MNHN 20229 , Fig. 177); MNHN 20221 ); stn DW 154-159, 24°46’S, 168°08’E, 235-300 stn CP 1682, 24°43’S, 168°10’E, 331-379 m, 1 dd (paratype m, 2 dd (paratypes MNHN 20222 , Fig. 79); stn DW 158, 24°46’S, MNHN 20230 ) . — BERYX 11: stn DW 18, 24°48’S, 168°09’E, 168°08’E, 262-290 m, 3 dd (paratypes MNHN 20223 ); stn DW 250-270 m, 1 lv (paratype MNHN 20231 , Fig. 80) . — SMIB 5: stn 159, 24°46’S, 168°08’E, 241-245 m, 1 dd (holotype MNHN DW 93 , 22°20’S, 168°42’E, 255 m, 1 dd.

20220, Fig. 78). — BATHUS 3: stn CP 805, Banc Jumeau Ouest , Fiji. BORDAU 1: stn DW 1469, 19°40’S, 178°10’W, 314-377 m, 23°41’S, 168°01’E, 278-310 m, 1 dd (paratype MNHN 20224 ). 2 dd; stn DW 1472, 19°40’S, 178°10’W, 262-266 m, 2 dd .

— NORFOLK 1: stn DW 1651, Banc N, 23°27’S, 167°50.4’E, 276- Tonga. BORDAU 2: stn DW 1535, 21°43’S, 175°18’W, 268 m, 350 m, 1 dd (paratype MNHN 20225); stn DW 1658, 23°26’S, 1 dd; stn DW 1595, 19°03’S, 174°19’W, 523-806 m, 1 dd; stn 167°50’E, 320-336 m, 1 dd; stn DW 1675, Banc Kaimon-Maru, DW 1607, 22°15’S, 175°23’W, 356-367 m, 2 dd.

24°45’S, 168°09’E, 231-234 m, 1 dd (paratype MNHN 20226);

DISTRIBUTION. — Norfolk Ridge , Fiji and Tonga, one specimen live in 250-270 m, empty shells in 232-523 m.

DESCRIPTION. — Shell small for the genus, holotype height 14.2 mm, width 15.5 mm, rather thick, rhomboidal in shape.

Protoconch of 2.8 conical whorls, 710 Μm high, 680 Μm wide at base. Protoconch-I of about 0.8 whorls, sculptured with pustules over the entire surface. Protoconch-II of about 2 whorls, with 2 spiral keels, sculptured with a series of subsutural prosocline threads, a series of tubercules over each keel, and a series of sligthly opisthocline threads between second abapical keel and suture.

Teleoconch of 5.8 whorls in holotype, last whorl about 60% of total height. Spire high, conical, with flat or slightly convex outlines well angled at periphery. Suture incised. Last whorl constricted at base. Aperture moderately large (5.5 mm high and 3.5 mm wide in holotype), rounded posteriorly, tapering anteriorly. Outer lip with finely crenulated edge, internally ridged, angled at periphery, usually continuous at peripheral spines; inner lip almost straight, callous. Siphonal canal moderately long, sharply curved dorsally and gently curved to the right in most specimens; umbilicus narrow. Teleoconch axial sculpture of broad weakly elevated ribs; 9 ribs on last whorl, 8 ribs on penultimate whorl. A single row of scabrous spines (each arising from an axial rib) at about half the height of spire (suprasutural on first whorls), consisting of long, narrow folded laminae, with the open side toward the aperture, the other side spinulose. Spiral sculpture starting with 1 keel, bearing first nodules then spines, on first 2 whorls. Then, densely packed spiral cords appear, minutely scabrous because of very finely imbricated lamellae; 4 cords above and 2 below peripheral keel gradually become visible on third whorl, 5 and 3 on fourth, 8 and 3 on fifth. A total of 22 cords on last whorl, 8 above, 11 below spine row, 3 on siphonal canal; fasciole bearing sharp scaly projections. Microsculpture of irregular growth lines and of minute spiral threads. Ground colour white, aperture bright white within.

REMARKS. — Babelomurex pallox is similar to B. purpuraterminus Kosuge, 1979 , from which it differs in its higher spire and less elongate aperture, its shorter siphonal canal, its non-spinulose (yet scabrous) spiral sculpture, its spiral cords of equal size, and its weaker and more rounded axial ribs. The shell of B. purpuraterminus always has a yellowish-reddish background with pink spines and siphonal canal, while B. pallox is always monochrome white. Babelomurex armatus (Sowerby, 1912) similarly to B. pallox has a single peripheral row of spines and scabrous spiral sculpture covering the entire shell surface. Babelomurex pallox differs from B. armatus in its smaller adult size, its higher spire, its proportionally smaller aperture and its narrower spines. From B. virginiae it differs in its spines not being oriented posteriorly, and its axial ribs (when present) being orthocline. The spiral cords of B. pallox are all of the same size and arrangement, those below the peripheral keel are never as scabrous as in B. virginiae , and the coloration of the shell is different (whitish to

brownish, with darker interspaces in B. virginiae , white in B. pallox ). From the very variable B. spinosus (Hirase, 1908) , it differs in its single row of spines and the more scabrous spiral cords covering the entire surface of the last whorl.

ETYMOLOGY. — The epithet pallox is the nickname of my beloved wife, Cristina. Used as a noun in apposition.