Anatoma crispata (Fleming, 1828)

Geiger, Daniel L. & Jansen, Patty, 2004, Revision of the Australian species of Anatomidae (Mollusca: Gastropoda: Vetigastropoda), Zootaxa 415 (415), pp. 1-35 : 14

Anatoma crispata (Fleming, 1828) : Figure 6

Remarks. Anatoma crispata described from Europe is a species that is listed from virtually the entire globe. It is likely that the use of this species name has been overly extended ( Herbert, 1986: 616). A possible Australian listing was given by Hedley (1902) from Challenger Station 164b off Sydney. Hedley (1902) discussed the problematic locality data associated with the lot and concluded that this specimen is actually from Challenger Station 64, a mid North Atlantic station. The remarks by Hedley (1902) were repeated by Herbert (1986). Iredale & McMichael (1962: 4) cast further doubt unto the Australian origin of that sample. Both A. australis and A. crispata are variable in shell morphology and have some overlapping morphological characters, although the disjunct geographic distribution suggests that both are distinct species. The Challenger specimen (BMNH 89.10.26.33) was investigated by SEM and has morphological characters that apply to both species, hence, can not be positively identified as either of the species ( Fig. 6 ). Hedley (1903) did not refer to this specimen in his description of A. australis , the holotype of which is at AMS.

Figures

FIGURE 6. Anatoma crispata/australis. BMNH 89.10.26.33 from Challenger station 164b/64; see under A. crispata for discussion of provenance and identity of specimen. Scale bar shell = 200 µm. Scale bar protoconch = 50 µm.