TOSAPUSIA EVELYNAE

TOSAPUSIA EVELYNAE

( GUILLOT DE SUDUIRAUT, 2007) COMB. NOV.

FIGURE 9A – E

Vexillum (Costellaria) evelynae Guillot de Suduiraut, 2007: 96 – 97 View in CoL ; pl. 3, figs 1 – 3.

Vexillum sp. : Fedosov & Kantor, 2010.

Type data

Holotype: MNHN IM-2000-20641, Philippines, Bohol, Off Balicasag Island , 300 – 340 m ( Fig. 8A View Figure 8 ), 31.7 mm.

Paratypes: Collection Sandro Gori (ex. collection Guillot de Suduiraut), from type locality, 39.2 mm; collection Conchology Inc., from type locality, 30.1 mm.

Material examined

Typical form ( Figs 9A – C).

Philippines: AURORA 2007, station CP2762, 15 ° 52 0 N, 121 ° 51 0 E, 66 m, 1 lv (MNHN IM-2007-34552, 28.5 mm); PANGLAO 2005, station CP2393, 9 ° 30 0 N, 123 ° 42 0 E, 356 – 396 m, 1 lv (MNHN IM-2007-32145, 27.4 mm) GoogleMaps .

Vanuatu: Boa 1, station CP2430, 15 ° 03 0 S, 166 ° 54 0 E, 377 – 492 m, 1 lv (MNHN IM-2007-30345, 28.3 mm); station CP2462, 16 ° 38 0 S, 167 ° 57 0 E, 618 – 641 m, 3 lv (MNHN IM-2007-30217, 38.7 mm; 42.6 mm, 34.2 mm); SANTO 2006 , station AT70, 15 ° 41 0 S, 167 ° 00 0 E, 517 – 614 m, 1 lv (MNHN IM-2007-30110, 29.0 mm) GoogleMaps .

New Caledonia: EXBODI, station CP3826, 21 ° 52 0 S, 166 ° 51 0 E, 354 – 509 m, 2 dd (20.4 mm, Fig. 7B View Figure 7 ; 17.55 View Figure 17 mm) GoogleMaps .

Madagascar: MIRIKY, station CP3289, 14 ° 29 0 S, 47 ° 26 0 E, 332 – 379 m, 2 lv (MNHN IM-2007-36671, 30.8 mm; MNHN IM-2007-36747, 25.4 mm) GoogleMaps .

Madagascar form 1 [= Vexillum sp. of Fedosov & Kantor (2010)] ( Fig. 9D)

Madagascar: MIRIKY, station CP3250, 15 ° 22 0 S, 46 ° 00 0 E, 493 – 750 m, 2 (27.5 mm, 26.9 mm); station CP3283, 14 ° 52 0 S, 46 ° 56 0 E, 228-257 m (MNHN IM-2013-40669, 28.1 mm) GoogleMaps .

Madagascar form 2 ( Fig. 9E).

Madagascar: MIRIKY, station CP3283, 14 ° 52 0 S, 46 ° 56 0 E, 228 – 257 m, 2 (MNHN IM-2013-40670, 18.8 mm; 19.3 mm) GoogleMaps .

Diagnosis

Shell slender, medium sized, elongate fusiform (w / h 0.25 – 0.27; a / h 0.44 – 0.46) with high spire and long to very long siphonal canal. Protoconch bulbous, with one and a half white and glossy whorls. Suture canaliculated, teleoconch whorls evenly convex to indistinctly shouldered, subcylindrical. Sculpture of fine, slightly opisthocline axial ribs, overridden by rounded spiral cords to form spirally elongate beads in intersections. Axial ribs closely set to widely interspaced. Siphonal canal usually very long, tapering, widely opened and shallow. Aperture elongate, nearly parallel sided. Outer lip thin, evenly convex in its adapical portion, drawn towards siphonal canal. Inner surface of outer lip lirate. Columella with three fine, widely spaced, columellar folds, weakening towards siphonal canal. Background colour white, last adult whorl with three spiral tan bands, one adapical, second on the adapical portion of shell base, and third on siphonal canal, penultimate whorl with one adapical tan band, early spire whorls off white.

Radula (MNHN IM-2007-36671; Fig. 10A View Figure 10 ): Radula rachiglossate, about 1 mm long and 0.18 mm wide, consisting of 60+ rows. Rachidian with very wide bow-shaped base reaching half of total radular length, bearing three strong pointed cusps; central cusp slightly weaker than lateral cusps, separated from them by shallow depressions. Lateral teeth elongate – triangular, with robust base and long strong cusp.

Distribution and habitat

Widely distributed in the tropical Indo-Pacific, from Madagascar to the Philippines, New Caledonia, and Vanuatu, depth range 66 – 618 m.

Remarks

In shell sculpture and coloir pattern, Tosapusia evelynae is closest to Tosapusia longirostris sp. nov. The two species can be distinguished by the outline of the shell base: it is elongate, gradually extending towards the siphonal canal in Tosapusia evelynae , but rather shortly constricted in Tosapusia longirostris sp. nov. Moreover, Tosapusia longirostris sp. nov. is stouter, with a lower spire, and has a coarser sculpture with gemmate spiral cords.

As we interpret it, Tosapusia evelynae displays a wide morphologic variability and encompasses several forms that differ in details of sculpture and whorl profile; however, all forms share the same general outline and sculpture pattern of straight, slightly opisthocline axial ribs, overridden by spiral cords and a colour pattern of light-brown spiral bands, and intermediates connect the extreme morphotypes, at least in the West Pacific. The typical form is characterized by subcylindrical, indistinctly shouldered, whorls. The interspaces between axial ribs deep and only slightly exceed axials in width; spiral cords are interspaced by equally wide gaps. The specimens of Tosapusia evelynae from New Caledonia are characterized by wide and flattened spiral cords, separated by spiral grooves ( Fig. 9B). The whorl profile in these specimens is more evenly convex than in typical form.

The pattern of variation is more complex in North-West Madagascar, where the typical form ( Fig. 9C) is encountered along with two local morphotypes ( Fig. 9D, E), and with two different morphs occasionally co-occuring at one station (forms 1 and 2 at MIRIKY, station CP3283). ‘Form 1’ is characterized by stronger and more widely spaced axial ribs, whereas the spiral cords are wide, flattened, and separated by narrow grooves ( Fig. 9D). The second local morphotype (‘form 2’) is characterized by a smaller shell with a delicate sculpture of fine dense axial ribs and multiple rounded spiral cords ( Fig. 9E). Barcode sequences were obtained for all three forms (‘typical form’ and forms 1 and 2) from Madagascar, and these show only slight variation (see Results of the phylogenetic analysis), consistent with their conspecificity; however, as no specimen of Tosapusia evelynae from the type locality in the Philippines was sequenced, we assign the specimens from off Madagascar to Tosapusia evelynae based solely on shell morphology. It is noteworthy, that the protoconch, observed intact in a single specimen of form 2 from Madagascar, suggests a non-planctotrophic development of Tosapusia evelynae , which questions the suggested wide distribution range of the species.

TOSAPUSIA LONGIROSTRIS SP. NOV. FEDOSOV, HERRMANN & BOUCHET

FIGURE 9F – K

Type data

Holotype: MNHN IM-2000-30203, lv, Solomon Islands, North of Guadalcanal, Salomon 1, station CP1800, 9 ° 21 0 S, 160 ° 24 0 E, 357 – 359 m, 25.6 mm ( Fig. 9F, G). GoogleMaps

Paratypes: Same locality as holotype; paratypes 1 – 5, MNHN IM-2000-30204, lv [25.9 mm, 25.0 mm ( Fig. 9H), 24.6, 20.3 and 17.5 mm]; paratype 6, collection Manfred Herrmann, lv, 24.5 mm.

Other material examined

Philippines, East of Luzon Island : AURORA 2007 station CP2656 16 ° 02 0 N, 121 ° 54 0 E, 262 – 278 m, 1 lv (MNHN IM-2007-34553, 28.2 mm); station CP2658, 15 ° 58 0 N, 121 ° 49 0 E, 422 – 431 m, four (MNHN IM-2007- 34564, lv, 17.6, 17.7, 15.0, and 14.9 mm); station CP2672, 14 ° 58 0 N, 121 ° 41 0 E, 276 – 346 m, five (20.85, 20.8, 17.5, 20.3, and 25.9 mm); station CP2708, 15 ° 08 0 N, 121 ° 37 0 E, 307 – 309 m, 2 lv (22.3 mm, Fig. 9I; 17.75 View Figure 17 mm); station CP2707, 15 ° 04 0 N, 121 ° 41 0 E, 368 – 442 m, 1 lv (NHN IM-2007-34550, 17.2 mm, Fig. 9K) GoogleMaps .

Diagnosis

Shell small, stout, fusiform, heavily sculptured, with very long siphonal canal. Protoconch conical, with ~2.7 light gently convex, glossy whorls. Teleoconch whorls convex to almost subcylindrical, with well-developed, though narrow, subsutural shelf. Sculpture consisting of axial ribs overridden by wide, flattened, spiral cords separated by deep grooves, together forming spiral rows of axially aligned gemmules. Shell base shortly constricted to very long, sometimes recurved, siphonal canal. Aperture narrow, elongate, almost parallel-sided. Inner surface of outer lip lirate. Columella with four strong, widely spaced folds, adapicalmost the strongest. Last adult whorl with pattern of white and light-brown spiral bands, earlier spire whorls pale.

Description

Shell small, fusiform, with very long siphonal canal (w / h 0.33–0.35; a / h 0.51–0.52) and pointed apex (although almost always corroded). Protoconch conical, of ~ 2.7 pale to orange gently convex, glossy whorls. Teleoconch of about nine whorls, suture distinct, slightly impressed. Spire whorls of nearly cylindrical profile, with distinct, though narrow, subsutural shelf and almost flat main portion of whorl. Axial sculpture of dense, closely set, axial ribs, about 28 on last adult whorl, and fine growth lines in interspaces between axials. Axial ribs overridden by wide and rounded spiral cords forming beads at intersection with axials. Early spire whorls with three, penultimate whorl with five, and last adult whorl with 12 spiral cords, separated at transition to siphonal canal by a slightly widened interspace from eight additional, low, rounded, spiral cords, rather oblique towards the tip of canal. Siphonal canal robust and very long, recurved. Aperture narrow, strongly elongate as it extends into wide siphonal canal. Outer lip slightly convex at mid-height and straight abapically, inside of outer lip with ten distinct lirae. Columella with four distinct, rather widely spaced, columellar folds, adapicalmost strongest; two adapical folds bearing shallow spiral groove on their crest, giving them a somewhat bifid profile. Background shell colour cream, last adult whorl with three distinct brown bands, one in subsutural area, second just below periphery, and third at base of siphonal canal. Early spire whorls and tip of siphonal canal white. Protoconch light translucent.

Radula (of holotype; Fig. 10B View Figure 10 ): Radula rachiglossate, ~ 0.9 mm long and 0.17 mm wide, consisting of about 72 rows. Rachidian with very wide bow shaped base, exceeding 40% of total radula width, tricuspidate, medial projection not pronounced, cusps equally pronounced, strong, pointed, rather short. Lateral teeth triangular, with robust base and strong, curved cusp.

Distribution and habitat

Solomon Islands, Philippines, depth range 278– 422 m.

Etymology

The species name refers to the long, drawn siphonal canal, which distinguishes Tosapusia longirostris from other species of Tosapusia .

Remarks

Our specimens display slight variations in the orientation of the siphonal canal, sculpture, and shell colour. The holotype has a distinctly recurved siphonal canal, whereas in the larger paratype the canal is coaxial. The juvenile paratype lacks coloration and seems to have more widely spaced axial ribs (19 on last adult whorl), which do not form beads at intersection with spiral cords; however, as this specimen is strongly damaged by boring Hydractinia cnidarians, which entirely covered the shell, we are inclined to attribute the observed differences to individual variation and the destructive activity of commensal Hydractinia .

Tosapusia evelynae most resembles Tosapusia longirostris sp. nov. The two occur sympatrically in deep water on the Pacific side of Luzon, and can be readily distinguished by shell proportions and sculpture. Tosapusia longirostris sp. nov. has a stouter shell with coarser sculpture and more cylindrical whorl profile, whereas Tosapusia evelynae is more slender, with evenly convex spire whorls and more delicate sculpture.

TOSAPUSIA DUPLEX (CERNOHORSKY, 1982)