Serrata beatrix ( Cossignani, 2001 ) Boyer, 2008

Boyer, Franck, 2008, The genus Serrata Jousseaume, 1875 (Caenogastropoda: Marginellidae) in New Caledonia, Mémoires du Muséum national d'Histoire naturelle 196, pp. 389-436 : 414-415

Serrata beatrix ( Cossignani, 2001) comb. nov.

Fig. 37

Serrataginella beatrix Cossignani, 2001: 13-14 .

TYPE MATERIAL. — Holotype (dd) MNHN 0370 , 1 paratype MMM.

TYPE LOCALITY. — Northern New Caledonia, Grand Passage.

MATERIAL EXAMINED. — Northern New Caledonia. TUI 2 (private expedition), Grand Passage, 250-270 m, 1 dd (holotype, Fig. 37) .

DISTRIBUTION. — Northwestern tip of New Caledonia, shells in 250-270 m.

DESCRIPTION. — Shell pyriform, light, opaque. Protoconch paucispiral, wide, dome-shaped, smooth. Spire short, teat-like, one whorl. Aperture narrow, oblique. Base tapering. Outer lip thick, slightly more reflected over its middle part, shoulder rounded, outer edge arched over its posterior part, rather straight over its anterior part, outer margin thickened, wide, stepped. Inner edge bearing about 14 very weak, quite indistinct, labial denticles. Four columellar plaits, first subvertical, very angled at its posterior part, 3 uppermost plaits horizontal, decreasing in size.

Ground colour whitish, spire pale orange, 2 wide spiral bands on the last whorl, encompassing the whole outer margin, base of the columella and siphonal canal intense white.

Dimensions: 6.63 x 3.70 mm.

Radula unknown.

REMARKS. — In its suboval outline and its narrow aperture, Serrata beatrix closely resembles the French Polynesian Serrata translata (Fig. 4). Serrata beatrix differs from S. translata by its more pyriform outline, its more protruding spire, its slightly less narrow aperture, its more flexuous outer lip, its angled first columellar plait and its horizontal 3 uppermost plaits.

The species was described originally in the genus Serrataginella , here considered a junior synonym of Serrata . Furthermore, the shell morphology of S. beatrix seems to be closer to S. translata than to the East African “ Marginella ” spryi Clover, 1974 , type species of Serrataginella .