Babelomurex diadema (A. Adams, 1854)

Oliverio, Marco, 2008, Coralliophilinae (Neogastropoda: Muricidae) from the southwest Pacific, Mémoires du Muséum national d'Histoire naturelle 196, pp. 481-586 : 540-542

Babelomurex diadema (A. Adams, 1854)

Figs 89-92, 180

Murex diadema Adams, 1854: 70 .

Synonyms:

Latiaxis (Baberomurex) [sic] gemmatus Shikama, 1966: 24 , pl. 2, figs 1-6.

Latiaxis macutanica Kosuge, 1979: 6 , pl. 3, figs 6-10.

TYPE MATERIAL. — Murex diadema : syntype BMNH 1985107 figured by Kosuge & Suzuki (1985: pl. 35, figs 1-2) . — Latiaxis gemmatus : syntype KPM NG0103749 , the largest of those figured by Shikama (1966: pl. 2, figs 1-3) also figured by Kosuge & Suzuki (1985: pl. 35, fig. 11) and Higo et al. (2001: 68, G2456) [examined good photographs only] . — Latiaxis macutanica : holotype IMT 79-5 [not seen], figured by Kosuge & Suzuki (1985: pl. 35, fig. 10), “transferred to the collection of Mr Masaji Suzuki ” ( Kosuge 1992) .

TYPE LOCALITY. — M. diadema : Philippines. — L.gemmatus: Okinoshima, SW Shikoku , Japan. — L. macutanica: Mactan , Cebu Island , Philippines .

MATERIAL EXAMINED. — New Caledonia proper. BATHUS 2: 1 dd (Fig. 180).

stn DW 717, Ile des Pins, 22°44’S, 167°17’E, 350-393 m, 1 dd Loyalty Islands. Lifou. LIFOU 2000: stn DW 1650, Baie du (Fig. 92). Santal, 20°54.15’S, 167°01.7’E, 120-250 m, 1 dd.

Norfolk Ridge. SMIB 8: stn DW 157, 24°46’S, 168°08’E, 251- Vanuatu. MUSORSTOM 8: stn DW 1021, 17°43’S, 168°37’E, 255 m, 1 dd . — SMIB 5: stn DW 95, 23°00’S, 168°20’E, 200 m, 124-130 m, 1 dd (Fig. 91).

Fiji. BORDAU 1: stn DW 1464, 18°09’S, 178°38’W, 285-300 m, 1 dd; stn DW 1472, 19°40’S, 178°10’W, 262-266 m, 2 dd (Fig. 89); stn CP 1506, 18°09’S, 178°37’W, 294-300 m, 1 dd

(Fig. 90); stn DW 1507, 18°09’S, 178°38’W, 294-300 m, 1 dd. Tonga. BORDAU 2: stn DW 1585, 18°33’S, 173°57’W, 578 m,

1 dd; stn DW 1603, 22°12’S, 175°20’W, 189-196 m, 1dd.

DISTRIBUTION. — West Pacific: southern Japan, South China Sea and the Philippines, “ 50-200 m, rocks” (Higo et al. 1999: 220). Here extended to New Caledonia, Norfolk Ridge, Loyalty Islands, Vanuatu, Fiji and Tonga, empty shells in 130-578 m.

REMARKS. — Protoconch of 1.7 conical whorls, 550 Μm high, 625 Μm wide at the base. Protoconch-I of about 0.5 whorls, sculptured with pustules over the entire surface. Protoconch-II of 1.2 whorls, sculptured at first only with pustules, then with a series of subsutural threads and 2 series of scattered threads corresponding to 2 faint keels; the threads of the 2 lower series tend to fuse, giving rise to collabral riblets.

I lump under this name specimens of the Babelomurex diadema group with smaller diameter of the first protoconch whorl, but the complex is in need of profound revision. Since information on the protoconch of the types is missing the problem of species identity remains unresolved. Specimens from Okinoshima ( Japan, type locality of

FIGS 88-95. Teleoconchs of Babelomurex . 88, B. couturieri (Jousseaume, 1898) , CORAIL 2 stn CP 27, H 32.2 mm. 89-92, B. diadema (A. Adams, 1854) ; 89, BORDAU 1 stn DW 1472, H 9.2 mm; 90, BORDAU 1 stn CP 1506, H 8.8 mm; 91, MUSORSTOM 8 stn DW 1021, H 23.7 mm; 92, BATHUS 2 stn DW 717, H 15.4 mm. 93, 94, B. macrocephalus n. sp. 93, holotype MNHN 20232, MUSORSTOM 4 stn DW 227, H 8.6 mm; 94, paratype MNHN 20234, BATHUS 2 stn DW731, H 8.2 mm. 95, Babelomurex fruticosus ( Kosuge, 1979) , SMIB 3 stn DW 8, H 21.6 mm.

B. gemmatus ; TK) and from the Philippines (type locality of B. diadema ; TK and MO, obtained from dealers) have a similar protoconch (1.6-1.8 whorls, 580-610 Μm at the base). The measured shells from the southwest Pacific have protoconchs with a slightly larger diameter at the base but I am unable to say whether they are distinct at the species level.