Siphonaria stellata ( Helbling, 1779 )

Siphonaria stellata ( Helbling, 1779) View in CoL

Patella stellata Helbling 1779: 109 , pl. 1, fig. 11 (without type locality).— Satyamurti 1952: 252, pl. 34, fig. 2a, b.

Siphonaria stellata View in CoL — Martens 1868: 235; Nagabhushanam & Krishnan 1993: 480; White & Dayrat 2012: 68.

Taxonomic remarks. The original description and original figure provide the only indication for the identity of S. stellata ( Helbling, 1779) View in CoL . No type specimen(s) are known to exist. Martens (1868: 235) transferred Patella stellata Helbling, 1779 to Siphonaria View in CoL , indicating that S. exigua Sowerby was the ‘best’ name reversing the priority. This transfer to Siphonaria View in CoL rendered S. stellata Blainville, 1827 as a junior secondary homonym (Art. 57.3; White & Dayrat, 2010: 68). Examination of Helbling’s figure (1779) reveals a shell that resembles specimens from Hawaii (e.g., S. waikoloaensis View in CoL sp. nov., Figs 72D–F; S View in CoL View FIGURE 72 . mauiensis sp. nov., Figs 56G–I View FIGURE 56 ) or Mauritius (e.g., S. incerta View in CoL ; Figs 35H–L View FIGURE 35 ) and is unlike the shell of S. exigua ( Fig. 3J View FIGURE 3 ). The identity of S. stellata is currently unknown and there is no prospect of clarifying its identity based on the original description alone. The use of the name S. stellata (Helbling) for material from the Bay of Bengal in Nagabhushanam & Krishnan (1993: 480) is therefore questionable. We consider this taxon as a nomen dubium.