Mipus tortuosus (Azuma, 1961)

Oliverio, Marco, 2008, Coralliophilinae (Neogastropoda: Muricidae) from the southwest Pacific, Mémoires du Muséum national d'Histoire naturelle 196, pp. 481-586 : 567

Mipus tortuosus (Azuma, 1961)

Fig. 141

Latiaxis tortuosus Azuma, 1961: 192-193 .

TYPE MATERIAL. — Holotype SSSM [not seen], figured by Higo et al. (2001: 67 G2429).

TYPE LOCALITY. — Tosa Bay , “± 100 fms” [180 m] (Higo et al. 1999: 218), off Kōchi Prefecture (southern Shikoku, Japan) .

MATERIAL EXAMINED. — Indian Ocean. Mozambique Channel , off Morondawa, 800 m, 3 dd ( MO) .

North of New Caledonia. MUSORSTOM 4: stn CC 201, 18°56’S, 163°14’E, 490 m, 1 dd (Fig. 141).

DISTRIBUTION. — Indian Ocean: Mozambique Channel, empty shells in 445 m ( Kosuge 1983) to 800 m (obtained from prawn fishing boats, MO). Pacific Ocean : southern Japan. Northern New Caledonia, empty shell in 490 m. First record in southwest Pacific .

REMARKS. — Mipus tortuosus is very similar to M. vicdani ( Kosuge, 1980a: 39) from which it differs in its thicker shell and its less pronounced peripheral crest. Kosuge (1983) reported both species as present in the Mozambique Channel, M. vicdani from a shallower sample (off Madagascar, in 240 m).