Kermia edychroa (Hervier, 1897)

Kilburn, Richard Neil, 2009, Genus Kermia (Mollusca: Gastropoda: Conoidea: Conidae: Raphitominae) in South African waters, with observations on the identities of related extralimital species, African Invertebrates 50 (2), pp. 217-217 : 229-230

Kermia edychroa (Hervier, 1897)

Figs 30–33

Clathurella edychroa: Hervier 1897 a: 146 ; 1897 b: 109, pl. 3, fig. 2; Bouge & Dautzenberg 1914: 195. Type locality: Lifou.

Clathurella edychroa var. violacea Hervier, 1897 b (non Bucquoy, Dautzenberg & Dollfus, 1883): 110. Type locality: Lifou.

Kermia edychroa (Hervier) : Kay & S. Johnson 1987: 122, fig. 4U.

Pleurotoma gracilis Folin, 1879 (non Conrad, 1830, nec Scacchi, 1836): 251, pl. 8, fig. 6. Syn. n. Type locality: Andaman Is.

Mangelia anxia Hedley, 1909: 455 , pl. 43, fig. 89. Syn. n. Type locality: Hope I., Great Barrier Reef, Queensland, 5–10 fath. [9–18 m].

Exomilus anxius (Hedley) : Hedley 1922: 333; Powell 1966: 137.

Type material: C. edychroa : originally two syntypes in SML, one possible syntype now in MNHN (labelled “ Holotype ”), worn and lacking its apex ( Fig. 30 ); very doubtful syntypes AMSA C.6988 (not seen). C. edychroa var. violacea : not located. P. gracilis : Holotype in BMNH (ex Macandrew coll.), 3.0× 1.1 mm. M. anxia : syntypes AMSA C.27446, 1 syntype NMWC 1955.158.912 (not seen).

Regional locality data: SOUTH AFRICA: KwaZulu-Natal: Kosi Bay , 1–4 km S of estuary, - 20–22 m (D. Herbert & K. Bloem; NMSA V2284 ) ; off Kosi Bay , - 23–24 m (D. Herbert & K. Bloem; NMSA S2936 ) ; SE of Kosi Bay , - 50 m, fine sand (Kilburn et al.; NMSA E5349 ) ; off Kosi Bay , - 9–17 m, stone washings (D. Herbert; NMSA D9928 ) ; between Kosi Bay and Bhanga Neck , - 13 m, sand (D. Herbert; NMSA S2995 ) ; same data but - 10–12 m, sand (D. Herbert; NMSA S2373 ) ; off Boteler Point, - 70 m, coral rubble (Kilburn et al.; NMSA E1574 ) ; off Island Rock, - 62 m, sand and coral debris (Kilburn et al.; NMSA E5562 ) ; off Leadsman Shoal , - 24–26 m, stone washings (D. Herbert & Natal Parks Board; NMSA E 2636 ) ; Sodwana Bay, Two-Mile Reef , - 10–15 m, stone washings (D. Herbert & R. Broker; NMSA E 734 ) ; off Richards Bay , - 50 m, fine sand, broken shell ( CSIR Water Research; NMSA A 6102 ) ; off Cape St Lucia , - 76–80 m, coarse sand (Kilburn et al.; NMSA E 5692 ) ; SE of Mission Rocks , - 50 m, old coral rubble (Kilburn et al.; NMSA E 6297 ) ; off Durban Bluff , - 20–22 m, sand (R. Kilburn & R. Fregona; NMSA B 5468 ) ; Aliwal Shoal, off Umkomaas , - 27 m, silt between rocks (G. Smith; NMSA E 1677 ) . Eastern Cape: Port Grosvenor , - 82 m, worn coral nodules (Kilburn et al.; NMSA S 9578 ) ; off Cape Morgan Lighthouse, east of East London , approx. - 100 m, broken coral and shell (A. Connell; NMSA B 7122 ) .

Distribution: New Caledonia to Queensland, west to Réunion I. and south-eastern Africa, south as far as the East London area, in shallow water to about - 100 m.

Remarks: The types listed above have been examined, except for M. anxia , photographs of a syntype of which ( Fig. 31 ) were kindly provided by D. Beechey. The protoconch of a fresh Réunion I. specimen, donated by Dr Maurice Jay, is illustrated here ( Fig. 33 ).

K. edychroa shows some resemblance in teleoconch form to Mangelia lutaria Hedley, 1907 , of New South Wales, type species of Exomilus Hedley, 1918 . In fact, M. anxia , here synonymised with K. edychroa , was included in Exomilus by Powell (1966). However, the protoconch in Exomilus lutarius , as figured by Laseron (1954: figs 251, 252), has a distinctive, cylindrical, truncate shape, without trace of diagonally cancellate sculpture.

Figures

Figs 27–33. Kermia melanoxytum (Hervier, 1896) and Kermia edychroa (Hervier, 1897): (27–29) K. melanoxytum: (27, 28) syntype of Glyphostoma melanoxytum, MNHN, Lifou, apertural and side views, 4.6×2.0 mm; (29) specimen NMSA S775 from Kosi Bay, 4.0×1.9 mm; (30–33) K. edychroa: (30) probable syntype of Clathurella edychroa, MNHN, Lifou, apertural view, 4.1×1.3 mm; (31) syntype of Mangelia anxia Hedley, 1909, AMSA C.27446, Hope Is., Queensland, 5–10 fath. [-9– 18 m], apertural view, 3.3×1.1 mm (photo courtesy of Des Beechey); (32) specimen NMSA V2284 from Kosi Bay, apertural view, 3.2×1.3 mm; (33) ESEM of protoconch, specimen from Réunion I.