Babelomurex couturieri (Jousseaume, 1898)

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

Babelomurex couturieri (Jousseaume, 1898)

Fig. 88

Latiaxis couturieri Jousseaume, 1898: 22 , text fig.

Synonym:

Murex cuspidifera [sic] Dall, 1924: 89 (fide Kosuge & Suzuki 1985).

TYPE MATERIAL. — Latiaxis couturieri : 1 syntype MNHN 0134 , figured by Kosuge & Suzuki (1985: pl. 35, fig. 4) . — Murex cuspidiferus : holotype USNM 339422 , figured by Kosuge & Suzuki (1985: pl. 35, figs 5, 6) .

TYPE LOCALITY. — L. couturieri : New Britain, Papua New Guinea . — M. cuspidifera: Hawaiian Islands.

MATERIAL EXAMINED. — Coral Sea. CORAIL 2: stn CP 27, Banc Lansdowne-Fairway, 20°21’S, 160°59’E, 74-75 m, 1 dd.

DISTRIBUTION. — West Pacific : from South China Sea and the Philippines, “ 50-200 m, sand” (Higo et al. 1999: 220), to Papua New Guinea. Coral Sea, one empty shell in 74-75 m.

REMARKS. — The species is diagnosed by the combination of a smooth sutural ramp, broad spines at the periphery, and in particular a very strong spiral cord on the base. The synonymy with Murex cuspidiferus Dall is questionable, given the very poor condition of the type of M. cuspidiferus .