Coralliophila erosa (Röding, 1798)

Oliverio, Marco, 2008, Coralliophilinae (Neogastropoda: Muricidae) from the southwest Pacific, Mémoires du Muséum national d'Histoire naturelle 196, pp. 481-586 : 493-494

Coralliophila erosa (Röding, 1798)

Figs 8, 150

Cantharus erosus Röding, 1798: 133 .

Synonyms:

Pyrula abbreviata Lamarck, 1816: 8 , pl. 436.

Murex plicatus Wood, 1818: 124 , pl. 26, fig. 56a.

Pyrula deformis Lamarck, 1822: 146 .

Rapana fragilis A. Adams, 1854: 98 .

Trichotropis dorbignyanum Petit de la Saussaye, 1851: 261 , pl. 7, fig. 2.

Rapana suturalis A. Adams, 1854: 98 .

Rapana coralliophila A. Adams, 1854: 98 .

Rhizochilus exaratus Pease, 1861: 399 .

Coralliophila stearnsiana Dall, 1919: 339 .

Coralliophila groschi Kilburn, 1977: 190 , figs 19-20.

TYPE MATERIAL. — Cantharus erosus : unknown. — Pyrula abbreviata : 2 possible syntypes MHNG 1098 /69/1, 36.0 mm, and MHNG 1098 /69/2, 37.9 mm . — Murex plicatus : unknown. — Pyrula deformis : holotype MHNG 1098 /71 . — Rapana fragilis : holotype BMNH 1984100 , figured by Kosuge & Suzuki (1985: pl. 38, fig. 8) . — Trichotropis dorbignyanum : probable holotype MNHN 4633 , figured by Kosuge & Suzuki (1985: pl. 38, figs 3, 4) . — Rapana suturalis : syntype BMNH 1984113 , figured by Kosuge & Suzuki (1985: pl. 38 figs 5, 6) . — Rapana coralliophila : syntype BMNH 1984111 , figured by Kosuge & Suzuki (1985: pl. 46, fig. 6) . — Rhizochilus exaratus : lectotype BMNH 1961177 , and 2 paralectotypes BMNH 1961178 , selected by Kay (1965); lectotype figured by Kay (1965, pl. 4, figs 19-11) and by Kosuge & Suzuki (1985: pl. 38, fig. 7, “ex Kay 1965”) . — Coralliophila stearnsiana : holotype USNM 46377 , figured by Kosuge & Suzuki (1985: pl. 38, fig. 11) . — Coralliophila groschi : holotype NM H382 - T2047 , figured by Kosuge & Suzuki (1985: pl. 38, fig. 9) .

TYPE LOCALITY. — C. erosus : not designated. — P. abbreviata : not indicated. — M. plicatus : “ East Indies ” . — P. deformis : unknown. — R. fragilis : Philippines. — T. dorbignyanum : “Taiti” on the probable holotype’s label ( MNHN), “Océan Pacifique, M. Bernardi” (Petit de la Saussaye 1851) . — R. suturalis: Bulusan , Province of Albay, Luzon, Philippines . — R. coralliophila: Isle of Ticao, on reefs at low water. — R. exaratus: Hawaiian Islands [ Sandwich Islands ] . — C. stearnsiana : Lower California . — C. groschi : east of Posto Lunga , Lunga Bay, northern Mozambique .

MATERIAL EXAMINED. — Coral Sea. CORAIL 2: stn DW 84, 1 dd; stn 1259, 20°44.6’S, 165°13.7’E, 15-35 m, 1 dd.

Plateau des Chesterfield , 19°12’S, 158°57’E, 16-26 m, 1 dd; stn Loyalty Islands. Lifou. LIFOU 2000: stn 1406, Baie du Santal, DW 139, 19°34’S, 158°20’E, 57 m, 1 dd (Fig. 8). 20°46.85’S, 167°07.75’E, intertidal, 3 dd; stn 1413, 20°55.3’S, New Caledonia proper. LAGON: stn 483, Lagon Nord, 19°01’S, 167°05’E, 3-10 m, 1 dd juv; stn 1425, 20°46.8’S, 167°07.2’E, 4- 163°32’E, 33 m, 1 dd; stn 888, Secteur de Pouebo, 20°22’S, 5 m, 1 dd juv (Fig. 150); stn 1432, 20°53.5’S, 167°02.7’E, 12-32 164°38’E, 20 m, 1 dd . — EXPÉDITION MONTROUZIER: stn m, 1 dd, stn 1441, 20°46.4’S, 167°02.2’E, 20 m, 1 dd juv; stn 1240, Secteur de Touho , 20°46.5’S, 165°14’- 165°15.7’E, 0- 1442, 20°46.4’S, 167°02’E, 47 m, 1 dd juv; stn 1445, 20°50.8’S, 2 m, 3 dd; stn 1245, 20°45.2’S, 165°16.3’E, intertidal, 1 dd; 167°09.7’E, 10-12 m, 2 dd; stn 1450, 20°45.8’S, 167°01.65’E, stn 1252, 20°46.5’S, 165°14’E, 1-4 m, 2 dd; stn 1255, 20°43’S, 27-31 m, 1 dd juv; stn 1451, 20°47.3’S, 167°06.8’E, 10-21 m, 1 165°08’E, 11 m, 1 dd; stn 1256, 20°45’S, 165°09.8’E, 15-20 m, dd; stn 1463, 20°55.5’S, 167°03.35’E, 20-30 m, 1 dd .

DISTRIBUTION. — Indo-West Pacific ( Kay 1979). From Izu Peninsula ( Japan) to tropical Indo-Pacific (Tsuchiya 2000), “intertidal to 20 m, on Acropora , Scleractinia [sic] and other corals” ( Higo et al. 2001: 216). Coral Sea, New Caledonia and Loyalty Islands, empty shells intertidal to 57 m.

REMARKS. — Protoconch of 3.3 whorls, 540 Μm high and 675 Μm wide at the base. Protoconch-I of about 1 whorl, sculptured with pustules over the entire surface. Protoconch-II of about 2.3 whorls, with 2 spiral keels (the abapical starting on the second protoconch whorl, the adapical starting on the third), sculptured by a series of subsutural prosocline threads and a series of similar threads over each keel; the 2 adapical series of threads tend to fuse giving rise to collabral riblets. A diffuse granulation is present in the interspaces. This description does not agree with the paucispiral protoconch of “ C. erosa ” as figured (drawing) by D’Attilio & Myers (1984: figs 32, 33).

Rather variable, as suggested by the long synonymy, its inclusion in Coralliophila s.l. is supported by molecular data ( Oliverio & Mariottini 2001a; Oliverio et al. 2002). It is found mainly on Acropora -like corals. A handwritten note by Lamarck’s daughter in Lamarck’s copy of Animaux sans vertèbres (in MNHG) indicates the presence of 7 specimens in her father’s collection, but there are now only 2 specimens in the Lamarck collection at MHNG. Lamarck indicated a size of 40 mm. The locality indicated on the label (not an original label of Lamarck) is “Oc. indien” (Y. Finet, pers. comm.). For P. deformis, Lamarck indicated a size of about “1 pouce”, i.e. about 27 mm, and the holotype is 25.3 mm long (Y. Finet, pers. comm.).