Leptochiton liratus (H. Adams & Angas, 1864)

(Figures 4–6)

Lepidopleurus liratus H. Adams & Angas 1864: 192; Ashby 1921: 155; 1923: 218, pl. 16, fig. 1; 1928: 175.

Lepidopleurus inquinatus; Sykes 1896: 86, pl. 6, fig. 4; Bednall 1897: 141, non Chiton inquinatus Reeve, 1847 .

Lepidopleurus profundus May 1923: pl. 14, fig. 2; Ashby 1927: 94, non Lepidopleurus profundus Ashby, 1923: 221, pl. 16, figs. 2, 2a [= Leptochiton collusor (Iredale & Hull, 1925)].

Terenochiton liratus; Iredale & Hull 1925: 342, pl. 39, fig. 4; Cotton & Godfrey 1940: 477, fig. 458; Macpherson & Gabriel 1962: 3; Cotton 1964: 17, fig. 5.

Parachiton profundus; Iredale & Hull 1925: 346, pl. 39, fig. 21.

Leptochiton (Leptochiton) liratus; Kaas & Van Belle 1985: 136, fig. 60, map 20; Gowlett-Holmes 2001: 74.

Leptochiton liratus; Sirenko 2020: 421, figs. 22, 23, 46D.

Type material. Neotype (AM C. 10410), designated by Iredale & Hull (1925).

Type locality. South Australia, Yorke Peninsula, Hardwicke Bay .

Material examined. Tasmania, D’Entrecasteaux Channel, 43°13’S, 147°28’E, 18 m, 2 spms, BL 9.5 –10.0 mm, (TMAG, E 3035), 1910, coll D.L. May .

Remarks. The studied two specimens were collected and identified by D.L. May as a new species Lepidopleurus profundus May, 1923 . Kaas & Van Belle (1985) identified them as Leptochiton liratus . The examination under an electron microscope revealed that the dorsal scales of these specimens are longer and pointed. They are similar to the needle-like spicules of the very similar species L. collusor (Iredale & Hull, 1925), while the dorsal scales of L. liratus have a different shape (see Kaas & Van Belle 1985). The identification as L. liratus by Kaas & Van Belle (1985) is accepted herein until the validity L. liratus and L. collusor is clarified.