Rapa rapa ( Linné, 1758 ), rapa (Linne, 1758

Oliverio, Marco, 2008, Coralliophilinae (Neogastropoda: Muricidae) from the southwest Pacific, Mémoires du Muséum national d'Histoire naturelle 196, pp. 481-586 : 559-560

Rapa rapa ( Linné, 1758)

Figs 123, 124, 192

Murex rapa Linné, 1758: 752 , no. 476.

Synonyms:

Rapa pellucida Röding, 1798: 148 .

Rapa striata Röding, 1798: 148 .

Pyrula papyracea Lamarck, 1816 : pl. 436.

TYPE MATERIAL. — Murex rapa : not found — Rapa pellucida : unknown. — Rapa striata : unknown. — Pyrula papyracea : three lots in the Lamarck collection at MHNG, although none of them is labeled as type material, and their status is doubtful (Y. Finet, pers. comm.): 1098/59 (1 specimen, 65.6 mm), 1098/60 (3 specimens, 40.6, 38.4 and 36.2 mm), 1098/61 (1 specimen, 55.0 mm).

TYPE LOCALITY. — M. rapa : undetermined (“In Oceano Asiatico”). — R. pellucida : undetermined. — R. striata : undetermined. — P. papyracea : two of the specimens in MHNG (1098/59, 1098/61) are labelled “Oc. indien”.

MATERIAL EXAMINED. — New Caledonia proper. LAGON: EXPÉDITION MONTROUZIER: stn 1245, Secteur de Touho , stn 912, Secteur de Koumac, 20°57’S, 164°53’E, 8-12 m, 1 lv 20°45.2’S, 165°16.3’E, intertidal, 1 dd (Fig. 124) .

(Figs 123, 192) and 1 fragment (including the protoconch). —

FIGS 123-126. Teleoconchs of Rapa . 123, 124, R. rapa ( Linné, 1758) . 123, LAGON: stn 912, H 25.6 mm; 124, EXPÉDITION MONTROUZIER stn 1245, H 33.6 mm. 125, R. incurva (Dunker, 1852) , LAGON stn 269, H 27.6 mm; 126, LIFOU 2000 stn 1447, H 24.1 mm.

DISTRIBUTION. — Indian Ocean: Seychelles ( Jarrett 2000). West Pacific, “completely embedded in soft, rubbery corals” ( Cernohorsky 1972). New Caledonia, live in 8-12 m, empty shells from intertidal to 8 m.

REMARKS. — The species included in Rapa are diagnosed on the basis of shell outline and sculpture and deserve a revision based on at least a careful anatomical analysis. The two specimens are here referred to R. rapa on the basis of the stronger spiral cords on the base (compared with R. incurva – see below). Protoconch of 3+ whorls (3.8 whorls in Philippine specimens: MO unpublished). Protoconch-I eroded in the available specimens, estimated of about 1 whorl. Protoconch-II of about 2.8 whorls, with 2 major spiral keels (the abapical starting on the early second protoconch whorl, the adapical starting at the end of the second protoconch whorl), and 1 minor subsutural keel, sculptured with a series of threads over each keel; the subsutural threads are prosocline, the median orthocline, the abapical opsthocline. The series of threads tend to fuse giving rise to sigmoid collabral riblets.