Hirtomurex kawamurai (Shikama, 1978)

Oliverio, Marco, 2008, Coralliophilinae (Neogastropoda: Muricidae) from the southwest Pacific, Mémoires du Muséum national d'Histoire naturelle 196, pp. 481-586 : 552

Hirtomurex kawamurai (Shikama, 1978)

Fig. 107

Coralliophila (Hirtomurex) kawamurai Shikama, 1978: 40 , pl. 7, figs 27-30.

TYPE MATERIAL. — Lectotype NSMT Mo 61234 (“ holotype ” in Matsukuma et al. 1991: 69, pl. 68, fig. 9), figured also by Higo et al. (2001: 69, G2469).

TYPE LOCALITY. — Tosa Bay , southern Shikoku, Japan .

MATERIAL EXAMINED. — New Caledonia proper. BATHUS 3: stn DW 838, 23°01’S, 166°56’E, 400-402 m, 2 dd (Fig. 107). New Hebrides Arc. VOLSMAR: stn DW 30, Hunter and Matthew Islands , 22°17’S, 171°18’E, 450-550 m, 1 dd .

DISTRIBUTION. — Western Pacific : from Kii Peninsula , Japan, to the Philippines (Higo et al. 1999: 221). Present material from New Caledonia and New Hebrides Arc, empty shells in 402-450 m.

REMARKS. — The two shells from southwestern New Caledonia (BATHUS 3 stn DW 838) are concordant with the lectotype of Coralliophila kawamurai . The shell from the New Hebrides Arc (damaged and eroded) is somewhat different, in having a less constricted base and a slightly higher spire. It is possible that it represents a different species (or possibly a worn specimen of Hirtomurex sp. A , see below), but more material is needed to determine this. The specific epithet kawamurai had already been used for another coralliophiline species ( Babelomurex kawamurai (Kira, 1959) [described in Latiaxis ]). However, there is at present neither primary homonymy ( Coralliophila vs. Latiaxis ) nor secondary homonymy ( Hirtomurex vs. Babelomurex ). Although at present the suprageneric taxonomy of coralliophilines is not stabilized, only if the two species are placed in the future in the same genus will an issue of homonymy arise, and only at that time will it become necessary to consider a new name for the present species.