Coralliophila inflata (Dunker, 1847)

Oliverio, Marco, 2008, Coralliophilinae (Neogastropoda: Muricidae) from the southwest Pacific, Mémoires du Muséum national d'Histoire naturelle 196, pp. 481-586 : 501

Coralliophila inflata (Dunker in Philippi, 1847)

Fig. 19

Fusus inflatus Dunker in Philippi, 1847: 193, pl. 4, fig. 2.

Synonym: Coralliobia akibumii Kira, 1959: 63 , pl. 25, fig. 3 (fide Kosuge & Suzuki 1985 and Tsuchiya 2000).

TYPE MATERIAL. — Fusus inflatus : not found. — Coralliobia akibumii : holotype OMNH-Mo 6474, figured by Kosuge & Suzuki (1985, pl. 41, fig. 9).

TYPE LOCALITY. — Java, Indonesia .

MATERIAL EXAMINED. — Coral Sea. MUSORSTOM 5: stn 328, Plateau des Chesterfield, 20°23’S, 158°44’E, 340-355 m, 1 dd; stn 361, 19°53’S, 158°38’E, 400 m, 1 dd.

North of New Caledonia. HALICAL 1: stn 01-04, Grand Passage , 18°53’- 18°56’S, 163°24’E, 350-400 m, 1 dd (Fig. 19) . — MU- SORSTOM 4: stn DW 185, 19°06’S, 163°29’E, 230 m, 1 dd.

Norfolk Ridge. BATHUS 3: stn DW 829, Banc Jumeau Ouest , 23°21’S, 168°02’E, 386-390 m, 1 dd . — BERYX 11: stn DW 18, 24°48’S, 168°09’E, 250-270 m, 1dd.

Loyalty Ridge. VOLSMAR: stn DW 40, 22°20’S, 168°41’E, 275- 295 m, 1 dd. — SMIB 5: stn DW 89, 22°19’S, 168°41’E, 295 m, 1 dd. — MUSORSTOM 6: stn DW 391, 20°47’S, 167°06’E, 390 m, 1 dd.

DISTRIBUTION. — Indian Ocean: South Africa and Indonesia (Kosuge & Meyer 1999; Kosuge 2008) and Kenya (Kosuge & Brink 2008). Pacific Ocean: Kii Peninsula ( Japan). From southen Japan and Indonesia, “ 50-100 m, in sand and shell” ( Higo et al. 2001). Herein extended to New Caledonia, from the Coral Sea southward to the Norfolk Ridge, empty shells in 270-400 m.

REMARKS. — This species appears to have a wide range in the Indo-West Pacific, based on shells so labeled by Philippines dealers, but material from throughout the range should be checked and compared against types to ascertain whether more species are involved. The protoconch was not present in any of the specimens studied here, nor is it present in the holotype of C. akibumii . Type material of Fusus inflatus was not found.