Cerithidea charbonnieri (Petit de la Saussaye, 1851 )

Reid, David G., 2014, The genus Cerithidea Swainson, 1840 (Gastropoda: Potamididae) in the Indo-West Pacific region, Zootaxa 3775 (1), pp. 1-65 : 25-27

Cerithidea charbonnieri (Petit de la Saussaye, 1851)

( Figures 2 A, 6, 7M–V)

Cerithium sp. Adams, in Adams & Reeve, 1848: 44.

Cerithium charbonnieri Petit de la Saussaye, 1851 : 264–265, pl. 7, fig. 7

(Borneo; 1 syntype MNHN 25689; Cecalupo 2005: pl. 30, fig. 12; Fig. 7 V) .

Sowerby, 1855: 886–887, pl. 186, fig. 279.

Cerithidea charbonnieri — H. Adams & A. Adams, 1854: 292–293, pl. 31, fig. 2 (living animal; Cecalupo, 2006: 46, fig.). Adams, 1855: 83. Sowerby, 1866: sp. 12, pl. 2, fig. 12a, b. Thach, 2005: 48, pl. 10, fig. 11. Reid et al., 2013: Fig. 1 (phylogeny), 2 (map).

Potamides (Aphanistylus) charbonnieri — Fischer, 1884: 682, fig. 450. Crosse & Fischer, 1890: 17. Fischer, 1891: 164.

Potamides (Cerithidea) charbonnieri — Tryon, 1887: 164, pl. 34, fig. 96 (as charbonieri , but correct in caption). von Martens, 1897a: 190.

Aphanistylus charbonnieri — Morlet, 1889: 144.

Cerithium (Aphanistylus) charbonnieri — Kobelt, 1890a: 47 –49, pl. 10, figs 2, 3 (as charbonieri ).

Cerithidea (Cerithidea) charbonnieri — Brandt, 1974: 194, pl. 14, fig. 56.

Cerithidea (Aphanistylus) charbonnieri — Cecalupo, 2005: 314, pl. 30, fig. 12. Cecalupo, 2006: 46, text fig. 186 (in part, includes C. quoyii ).

Cerithium unicarinatum Metcalfe, 1852: 73 –74

( Borneo; 3 syntypes NHMUK 20130226 ,

seen; Sowerby 1855: pl. 186, fig. 279; Sowerby 1866: pl. 2, fig. 12a, b; Fig. 7 T, U; not Woodward, 1833).

Cerithidea rhizophorarum — Hamli et al., 2013: 412 –418, fig. 2b (as rizophorarum; not A. Adams, 1855)

Taxonomic history. The first record of this species was a brief account of the red and yellow animal of “a very handsome Cerithium ” found in Borneo, by A. Adams (in Adams & Reeve 1848: 44; figured by H. Adams & A. Adams, 1854: pl. 31, fig. 2). Following its formal description by Petit de la Saussaye in 1851, the species has been correctly recognized by almost all subsequent authors, on account of its distinctive shell. However, only three original figures have been published since 1890 ( Brandt 1974; Thach 2005; Hamli et al. 2013). Metcalfe (1852) named the species Cerithium unicarinatum , but the synonymy with C. charbonnieri was recognized shortly afterwards ( Adams 1855; Sowerby 1855).

Diagnosis. Shell: delicate; sutures relatively indistinct, periphery sharply angled; sinuous apertural margin, weak anterior canal, straight columella; 12–24 narrow axial ribs on penultimate whorl; ventrolateral varix is usually represented by a previous lip at about 180°; no spiral sculpture above periphery; keel with brown line. SE Asia, Sumatra, Borneo. COI GenBank HE680203 – HE680206 .

Material examined. 28 lots.

Shell ( Fig. 7 M–V): H = 30.1–46.0 mm (50 mm, Brandt 1974). Shape elongated conical (H/B = 2.41–2.93, SH = 3.03–3.61); decollate, 6–9 whorls remaining; spire whorls lightly rounded to flattened, suture relatively indistinct; spire profile straight to convex; periphery sharply angled; delicate. Adult lip only moderately flared, slightly thickened; often 1–2 previous lips on last 2 whorls; apertural margin sinuous in side view; weak anterior projection adjacent to shallow notch of canal; narrow, straight columella. Sculpture on spire of straight to slightly opisthocline axial ribs, becoming slightly curved (opisthocyrt) and weak or irregular on final 1–2 whorls, ribs narrow, interspaces 2–3 times width of ribs, 12–24 ribs on penultimate whorl; spiral sculpture absent above periphery; base with 11–13 striae, of which peripheral one forming a sharp keel. Ventrolateral varix usually developed as a previous lip at 170–210°. Surface with faint, fine spiral microstriae on periostracum; often worn smooth (removing ribs) in old shells. Colour: pale fawn, brown line at periphery; periostracum olive brown; peripheral band visible within aperture.

Animal ( Fig. 2 A): Snout dark grey with yellow spots, 2 transverse black bands at base, tip red; tentacles yellowish grey with black transverse lines, black band across eye, pink base behind eye; sides of foot pinkish grey with dark grey mottling, edge red; mantle edge pale grey (red colour fading to pink in ethanol-preserved specimens).

Range ( Fig. 6 ): mainland of SE Asia, Sumatra, Borneo. Records: Malaysia: Teluk Anson, Perak ( MNHN); Lubok Antu, Sarawak ( NHMUK 20130236); Limbang, Sarawak ( Hamli et al. 2013); Brunei: Sungai Batu Apoi Lama, Temburong Dist. ( NTM P 010209) . Thailand: Tapi River estuary, Surat Thani ( NHMUK 20100424; AM; USNM 794070). Cambodia: Kampot ( Morlet 1889). Vietnam: Long An ( ANSP 330601); Nha Trang (S. Tracey). Indonesia: Boeloengan, Kalimantan ( USNM 878697); Banjarmasin, Kalimantan ( RMNH); Palembang, Sumatra ( MNHN); Padang, Sumatra ( RMNH).

Both Kobelt (1890a) and Fischer (1891) included Java in the distribution, but the species was not reported from Java by Van Benthem Jutting (1956). A record from Timor (“Coll. Dennis, 1910”, MNHN) is probably incorrect, because this is far outside the recorded range. The occurrence appears to be localized; in Thailand it is known from only a single estuary ( Brandt 1974).

Mabille (1887) recorded both C. charbonnieri and C. sinensis from Tonkin (i.e. northern Vietnam). However, specimens of the former were said to be immature and it is more likely that they were in fact juvenile C. sinensis , since C. charbonnieri has not been reliably reported from within the more northerly range of C. sinensis . Crosse & Fischer (1890) listed it as the only Cerithidea from Halong Bay, northern Vietnam, and again this is likely to refer to C. sinensis .

Habitat and ecology. Common on leaf bases of Nypa palms, to 1.5 m above ground, behind narrow fringe of Avicennia trees facing estuary (Tapi River, Surat Thani, Thailand). A. Adams (in Adams & Reeve 1848: 44) reported that it was frequently found “crawling languidly on the leaves of the Pontedera [sic, i.e. Pontederia ] and sedges in the fluviatile marshes on the banks of the rivers in many parts of Borneo, and many miles in the interior where the water is perfectly fresh”. It has been recorded at Sibu, Sarawak ( Hamli et al. 2013), 60 km from the open sea. In Brunei it has been found on the bases of Acrostichum ferns in a riverine mangrove forest fringing a small stream (NTM P 010209).

Remarks. Shells of this species are scarce in museum collections. The recorded localities are few, but it can be common where it occurs. It is used as food in Sarawak ( Hamli et al. 2013). The shells of the largest and oldest animals are often severely worn (by abrasion and/or soil acidity) on the apertural side of the spire. The combination of sharp peripheral keel with solely axial sculpture makes this species easily recognized.

Two genus-level taxa have been based on this species but there is no apparent morphological or phylogenetic justification for this (see Taxonomic History of the genus Cerithidea ). It forms a well-supported clade with C. balteata and C. sinensis in molecular phylogenies based on COI and 28S ( Reid et al. 2013; Fig. 1 ), but which of these is its sister species is not clear.

Figures

FIGURE 1. Molecular phylogeny of Cerithidea species produced by Bayesian analysis of partial COI sequences, using Cerithideopsilla species as outgroup (after Reid et al. 2013). Localities details given by Reid et al. (2013). Support values are posterior probabilities; only values ≥ 0.95 (i. e. with strong support) are shown.

FIGURE 2. Living animals of Cerithidea species (not to scale). A. C. charbonnieri, Tapi R. estuary, Surat Thani, Thailand. B. C. obtusa, W Johore, Malaysia. C. C. anticipata, Brunswick R., NSW, Australia. D. C. quoyii, Singapore. E. C. moerchii, Kumamoto City, Kumamoto Pref., Kyushu, Japan. F. C. tonkiniana, Kumamoto City, Kumamoto Pref., Kyushu, Japan. G. C. reidi, Port Smith, Western Australia. H. C. weyersi, Tha Pom, Krabi, Thailand. Photography credits: C, D. Riek; D, S. K. Tan; E, F, H. Fukuda (from Fukuda, 2000). H, B. Craig.

FIGURE 6. Distribution of Cerithidea balteata (circles), C. sinensis (triangles) and C. charbonnieri (squares). Solid symbols, specimens examined; open symbols, literature records: A, Ma (2004); B, Wattebled (1886); C, Morlet (1889).

FIGURE 7. A – L, Cerithidea sinensis. M – V, C. charbonnieri. A, B, Cerithium sinense Philippi, 1848, syntypes, China (MNHN 25694). C, D, Shanghai, China (NHMUK 20130235). E – I, L, Hai Phong, Vietnam (USNM 207877; E – H views of same specimen). J, Da Nang, Vietnam (NHMUK 1901.12.12.175). K, Aphanistylus moreleti Wattebled, 1886, syntype, Huan An, Hue, Vietnam (MNHN 25687). M – R, Tapi River estuary, Surat Thani, Thailand (NHMUK 20100424; N, R and O – Q views of two specimens). S, Lubok Antu, Sarawak, Malaysia (NHMUK 20130236). T, U, Cerithium unicarinatum Metcalfe, 1852, syntype, Borneo (NHMUK 20130226). V, Cerithium charbonnieri Petit de la Saussaye, 1851, syntype, Borneo (MNHN 25689). Photography credits: A, B, K, V, MNHN.