Description of thirteen new species of Muricidae (Gastropoda) from Australia and the New Caledonian region, with range extensions to South Africa

Abstract

The present paper reports on new species and new geographical range extensions, resulting from recent expeditions conducted by ORSTOM, Nóumea, the Muséum National d’Histoire Naturelle, Paris, the Australian Museum, Sydney, the Western Australian Museum, Perth, and the Natal Museum, Pietermaritzburg. The following new taxa are described: Pterynotus stenostoma (New Caledonia), Pterynotus crauroptera (New Caledonia), Pazinotus spectabilis (Loyalty Ridge), Muricopsis charcoti (New Caledonia), Muricopsis bargibanti (Chesterfield Reefs), Muricopsis diamantina (Western Australia), Typhis westaustralis (Western Australia), Typhis trispinosus (Queensland, Australia), Typhis insolitus (New Caledonia), Siphonochelus lozoueti (New Caledonia), Trophon lacrima (New Caledonia), Trophon tirardi (New Caledonia), and ?Trophon aberrans (Queensland, Australia). Three species, Pterynotus fulgens Houart, 1988, Muricopsis auratus (Kuroda & Habe, 1971), and Siphonochelus tillierae Houart, 1986, are new records for southern Africa.