New species of Epitoniidae (Gastropoda: Epitonioidea) from the Red Sea

ABSTRACT

Based on material stored in the Zoological Museum of the University of Bologna (MZB), four new species of epitoniids from the shallow waters of the Red Sea are described: Epitonium (Laeviscala) yemenita n. sp., Epitonium (Laeviscala) morassii n. sp., Epitonium (Labeoscala) zabargadense n. sp. and Epitonium (Labeoscala) aranea n. sp. Scanning electron microscope illustrations of type specimens of Scalaria gracilis Sowerby, 1844, Scalaria fucata Pease, 1861, Graciliscala histricosa Jousseaume, 1912, Graciliscala rostrata Jousseaume, 1912, Scala rissoinaeformis Melvill, 1903 and Scala thelcteria Melvill & Standen, 1903 are given. Systematic remarks on some species belonging to the subgenus Laeviscala are treated in additional notes. A lectotype of Graciliscala histricosa is designated.

http://zoobank.org/urn:lsid:zoobank.org:pub:8304A24D-5985-43D5-AEBF-1A7ED39A1F1C

KEYWORDS:

• Caenogastropoda
• Epitonium
• Labeoscala
• Laeviscala
• Mollusca
• systematic
• type specimens

Acknowledgements

I am grateful to Andreia Salvador and Harry Taylor (NHMUK, London) for the loan of type specimens and for the photographs of the syntype of Scala rissoinaeformis and Scala thelcteria; Des Beechey (Australian Museum, Sydney), who has kindly provided photographs of the holotype of Laeviscala tacita; Virginie Héros (MHNH, Paris) for the loan of the Jousseaume's type specimens and for her usual courtesy and helpfulness; Dr Mauro Morassi (Brescia, Italy); Professor Bruno Sabelli (University of Bologna, Italy); Dr Paolo Albano (University of Vienna, Austria) and two anonymous reviewers for their useful comments and constructive criticism on an early draft of the manuscript; Dr Marco Taviani (Italian National Research Council), Italian partner of European Community project RED SED (The Red Sea and Gulf of Aden Sedimentological Project, 1991–93) who within this project has made possible my participation to two scientific missions in the Red Sea, during which some of the specimens discussed here were collected, and also for his contribution to the increase of the malacological collection of the Zoological Museum of the University of Bologna.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author.

ORCID

Antonio Bonfitto http://orcid.org/0000-0001-9399-4208

Additional information

Funding

This work was supported by the “Canziani Bequest” fund, University of Bologna, [grant number A.31.CANZELSEW], Bologna, Italy.