Cerithiopsidae (Mollusca: Gastropoda) of New Zealand, and a provisional classification of the family

Abstract

Cerithiopsidae H. & A. Adams is defined; 37 New Zealand Recent species and 1 subspecies, and all genera with Recent type-species, including some with fossil representatives, are allocated to Cerithiopsinae H. & A. Adams, Eumetulinae Golikov & Starobogatov, and Aliptinae n.subfam. Seilidae Golikov & Starobogatov is reduced to tribal rank in Cerithiopsinae. Cerithiellidae Golikov & Starobogatov is maintained as a discrete family within Cerithiopsoidea, and Ataxocerithium Tate and Seilopsis Tomlin are referred there. Conciliopsis Laseron is synonymised with Cerithiopsis Forbes & Hanley, the genus is defined, and a lectotype is designated for the type-species Cerithiopsis tubercularis (Montagu). Cinctella Monterosato is resurrected from synonymy with Seila A. Adams for the Mediterranean Seila trilineata (Philippi). The following species are newly synonymised: Seila dissimilis Suter with Specula styliformis (Suter); Cerithiopsis canaliculata Suter with Specula retifera (Suter); Cerithiopsis subantarctica Suter and Cerithiopsis acies Suter with Zaclys sarissa (Murdoch); Zaclys paradoxa Powell with Horologica dirempta (Odhner); Seila chathamensis Suter and Seila huttoni Suter with Seila cincta (Hutton). The following genus-group taxa are newly introduced for New Zealand species: Euseila Cotton; Aliptina n.gen.; Cerithiopsidella Bartsch; Laskeya Iredale; Retilaskeya n.gen.; Horologica Laseron; Synthopsis Laseron; Prolixodens n.gen. The following species are described as new: Mendax trizonaloides; Mendax hebetatus; Mendax seilaformis; Aliptina acheronae; Cerithiopsidella blacki; Retilaskeya zelandica; Zaclys murdochi; Cerithiopsis powelli; Joculator sublima; Horologica cowei; Synthopsis regia; Synthopsis acuminata; Prolixodens benthica; Prolixodens crassa; Seila maoria; Seila dilecta; Seila elegantissima; Seila regia. Cerithiopsis infracolor Laseron is newly recorded from New Zealand. Mendax duplicarinata Powell and Socienna maoria Finlay are referred to Triphoridae. The 20 remaining previously described species are redescribed, and 19 are reillustrated with scanning electron micrographs. Besides Metaxia Monterosato, Seilarex Iredale, Socienna Finlay, and Paramendax Powell, which have recently been allocated to Triphoridae, the following genera are removed from Cerithiopsidae: Onchodia Dall; Tasmalira Dell; Cerithina Holzapfel; Halloysia Briart & Cornet; Trypanaxis Cossmann; and Orthochetus Cossman.