Trapezia bella Dana, 1852

Trapezia bella Dana, 1852: 254, pl. 15, fig. 2 (colour) (Plate 3B).

Remarks. This species was described from an unspecified number of specimens from Carlshoff Island (= Aratika Island), Tuamotu Archipelago, French Polynesia (Dana 1852: 254). No specimens are extant.

The only colour figure that is known of T. bella is that of Dana (1852: pl. 15, fig. 2; see Plate 2B). Forest & Guinot (1961: figs. 129, 130) published an excellent drawing which shows the characteristic colour pattern and morphology of the species. The photograph supposedly of T. bella by Serène (1984: pl. 38, fig. F) actually shows T. formosa Smith, 1869 (see Castro 1997b, 1998). Although the diagnostic colour pattern (with small redbrown dots) and morphology (adults with rounded anterolateral margins lacking teeth) are unique, juveniles may be confused with juveniles of T. tigrina, an often­sympatric species.

A male (MNHN­B 27679; cl 5.3 mm, cw 6.2 mm) from Takapoto Atoll (14º35’S, 145º13’W), Tuamotu Archipelago is herein designated as the neotype. It was collected by O. Odinetz from Pocillopora (colony P5–A2) at an unknown depth and date in 1982.