19. Haminoea cf. elegans (Gray, 1825)

(Figure 2 G)

Material examined. EOL, 2 spcs, H = 4–7 mm, IVICCM000018. OLH, 1 spc., H = 6 mm, IVICCM000151. OLH, 5 spcs, H = 5–8 mm, ZMBN 84903. OLM, 1 spc., H = 4 mm, ZMBN 84926.

Ecology. Inside mangrove lagoons (1–2 m deep) with soft bottom and brown and green algae including Halimeda spp.

Distribution. ABC Islands, Bermuda, Brazil, Colombia, Costa Rica, Cuba, Grenada, Guadeloupe, Jamaica, Mexico, Puerto Rico, St. Vincent & the Grenadines, USA, Virgin Islands, Venezuela (Princz 1982; Valdés et al. 2006; Rosenberg 2009; Miloslavich et al. 2010; Yidi & Sarmiento 2011. Morrocoy: Bitter et al. 2009. La Restinga, Margarita: Grune et al. 2015).

Remarks. The systematics of the genus Haminoea is confusing due to the poor definition of the species characters, most of the taxonomic work is shell-based and shells are very similar between species which makes separation difficult. A review of the worldwide species of Haminoea is underway (Malaquias, in progress) and we here tentatively identify these specimens as H. elegans due to the presence of spiral grooves in the shell.