Babelomurex princeps ( Melvill, 1912 )

Oliverio, Marco, 2008, Coralliophilinae (Neogastropoda: Muricidae) from the southwest Pacific, Mémoires du Muséum national d'Histoire naturelle 196, pp. 481-586 : 539

Babelomurex princeps ( Melvill, 1912)

Fig. 87

Latiaxis princeps Melvill, 1912: 248 , pl. 12, fig. 15.

Synonym:

Latiaxis castaneocinctus Kosuge, 1980 b: 43 , pl. 10, figs 7-9.

TYPE MATERIAL. — Latiaxis princeps : syntypes BMNH 1912.9.17.1-2 1912.4.20.1-2, one figured by Kosuge & Suzuki (1985: pl. 31, fig. 1) . — Latiaxis castaneocinctus : holotype [not seen], figured by Kosuge & Suzuki (1985: pl. 31, fig. 2), “transferred to the collection of Mr Masaji Suzuki” ( Kosuge 1992).

TYPE LOCALITY. — L. princeps : “Persian Gulf 50 Philippines.

fms, and near Mussandam 55 fms”. — L. castaneocinctus :

MATERIAL EXAMINED. — Coral Sea. CORAIL 2: stn DW 20, 155-161 m, 1 dd (Fig. 87).

Banc Lansdowne-Fairway, 20°39’S, 161°01’E, 88 m, 1 dd. Fiji. MUSORSTOM 10: stn CP 1389, 18°19’S, 178°05’E, 241- Vanuatu. MUSORSTOM 8: stn CP 1085, 15°48’S, 167°18’E, 417 m, 1 dd.

DISTRIBUTION. — Eastern Arabia , “offshore” ( Bosch et al. 1995), and Philippines (Kosuge & Suzuki 1985: 17). The Coral Sea, Vanuatu and Fiji, empty shells in 88-241 m. Southernmost record for the species .

REMARKS. — The present shells are concordant with the types and with Philippines specimens .