Tosapusia, HABE, 1964

GENUS TOSAPUSIA HABE, 1964 View in CoL

Type species: Mitropifex isaoi Kuroda & Sakurai, 1959 (M). Habe did not declare Tosapusia a new genus, but the name was made available by being monotypic, with the combined description of the genus and species. Tosapusia was declared new by Azuma (1965: 56), with the same type species.

Synonym: Tongsuapusia Huang, 2015 ; syn. nov. Type species: Vexillum duplex Cernohorsky, 1982: 992 ; pl. 1, figs 6, 7 (OD).

Diagnosis

Shell elongate fusiform, sometimes widely fusiform or turriform, typically with high spire and long to very long siphonal canal. Suture typically canaliculated or impressed, often resulting in telescopic appearance of spire. Whorls outline varying from subcylindric to flattened or evenly convex. Axial sculpture of straight ribs strong and widely set to fine and closely set. Spiral sculpture varying from fine grooves, restricted to siphonal canal or pronounced in interspaces between axials only, to strong cords overriding axial ribs to form beads or strong gemmae at intersections. Aperture elongate, its outer lip smooth or bearing fine lirae on its inner surface. Inner lip with between three and five columellar folds, with the upmost fold being the strongest. Shell coloration light, off-white, whitish, or pale, often with darker spiral bands. Head-foot pale, eye tentacles long, with eyes situated laterally at their bases. Radula rachiglossate, with tricuspidate rachidian of varying morphology and unicuspidate widely sickle-shaped or triangular laterals. Jaw present in some species, situated in buccal mass, thin, horseshoe-shaped. Gland of Leiblein glandular, very large, brown. Males with open seminal groove.

Included species

Tosapusia isaoi (Kuroda & Sakurai, 1959) View in CoL , 1 Tosapusia bismarckeana View in CoL sp. nov., 1 Tosapusia duplex Cernohorsky, 1982 View in CoL , 1 Tosapusia evelynae ( Guillot de Suduiraut, 2007) View in CoL , 1 † Tosapusia kalimnanensis ( Cernohorsky, 1970) View in CoL , 2 Tosapusia kurodai (Sakura & Habe, 1964) View in CoL , 2 Tosapusia longirostris View in CoL sp. nov., 1 Tosapusia myurella View in CoL sp. nov., 1 Tosapusia sauternesensis ( Guillot de Suduiraut, 1997) View in CoL , 2 Tosapusia turriformis View in CoL sp. nov., 1 Tosapusia vitiaz View in CoL sp. nov. 1

Distribution and habitat

Indo-Pacific, from Madagascar to Japan and French Polynesia, in deep water (300–1000 m) on soft bottoms.

Remarks

Members of Tosapusia display high disparity in all key elements of shell morphology – shell shape and proportions, whorl profile, sculpture pattern, and shape of the suture – making it quite difficult to determine shared characters in order to establish the identity of the genus. Conchologically, different Tosapusia species may resemble members of other costellariid genera rather than congeners. Tosapusia isaoi and Tosapusia sauternesensis , with their high spire and relatively short siphonal canal, resemble some deep-water species of Vexillum , like Vexillum tokubeii ( Sakurai & Habe, 1964) or Vexillum scitulum (A. Adams, 1853) , but can be distinguished by the shape of the axial ribs, which are always straight in Tosapusia , but are arcuate and usually slightly undulating in Vexillum . The tip of the siphonal canal is distinctly notched in Vexillum , whereas Tosapusia species have a relatively longer siphonal canal, never notched at its tip, which easily distinguishes the two genera.

Typical specimens of Tosapusia duplex , with their weakly developed spiral sculpture, are superficially close to species of Latiromitra ; however, the notably stronger columellar plicae and narrower aperture of Tosapusia duplex readily differentiate it from Latiromitra . The widely fusiform shell of Tosapusia vitiaz sp. nov. is close in proportion to Ceratoxancus , but can be distinguished by stronger columellar folds and lack of operculum in Tosapusia vitiaz , and by the distinctive labral tooth that is characteristic of most Ceratoxancus species. For more details, see the Remarks sections in the following species entries.