Babelomurex nakayasui ( Shikama, 1970 )

Oliverio, Marco, 2008, Coralliophilinae (Neogastropoda: Muricidae) from the southwest Pacific, Mémoires du Muséum national d'Histoire naturelle 196, pp. 481-586 : 536

Babelomurex nakayasui ( Shikama, 1970)

Fig. 81

Latiaxis (Baberomurex) [sic] nakayasui Shikama, 1970: 22 , pl. 1, figs 18-21.

TYPE MATERIAL. — Syntype KPM NG0103753 , figured by Kosuge & Suzuki (1985: pl. 31, fig. 8) and Higo et al. (2001: 68, G2452) [examined good photographs only] .

TYPE LOCALITY. — Kashiwajima, southwest Ahikoku, Japan.

MATERIAL EXAMINED. — Norfolk Ridge. SMIB 8: stn DW 159, 24°46’S, 168°08’E, 241-245 m, 4 dd (Fig. 81) .

Loyalty Islands. Lifou. LIFOU 2000: stn DW 1649, Baie du Santal, 20°54’S, 167°01.01’E, 150-200 m, 1 dd.

DISTRIBUTION. — Western Pacific : from Kii Peninsula , Japan, southward to South China Sea and Philippines, in “ 50-200 m, rocks” (Higo et al. 1999: 220). Norfolk Ridge and Loyalty Islands, empty shells in 200-241 m. Range extension and southernmost record .

REMARKS. — This species is often confused in collections with B. spinaerosae ( Shikama, 1970) , from which it differs by usually having shorter spines at the shoulder and in its more numerous rows of smaller spines on the last whorl (see the type of B. spinaerosae, KPM NG 0103743, figured by Higo et al. 2001: 68, G2461).