79. Halechiniscus paratuleari Grimaldi de Zio, D’Addabbo Gallo & Morone De Lucia, 1988

Halechiniscus paratuleari n. sp. (Grimaldi de Zio et al. 1988)

Halechiniscus paratuleari Grimaldi de Zio et al., 1988 (D’Addabbo Gallo et al. 1999a, Grimaldi de Zio & D’Addabbo Gallo 2001, Gallo et al. 2007, Accogli et al. 2011)

Terra typica: Tyrrhenian Sea (Italy, Europe)

Adriatic Sea:

• 42°09′00′′N, 15°30′00′′E [42°08′N, 15°31′E]; 5–20 m bsl: [FAO37] Italy, Foggia Province, Tremiti Islands, Caprara [Capraia] Island, Cala dei Turchi, coarse organogenic detritus. Grimaldi de Zio & D’Addabbo Gallo (2001), Grimaldi de Zio et al. (2003)

• 42°07′N, 15°31′E [42°08′N, 15°31′E]; 5–20 m bsl: [FAO37] Italy, Foggia Province, Tremiti Islands, San Nicola, Punta del Cimitero, coarse organogenic detritus. Grimaldi de Zio & D’Addabbo Gallo (2001), Grimaldi de Zio et al. (2003)

• 42°08′N, 15°29′E [42°07′N, 15°30′E]; 5–20 m bsl: [FAO37] Italy, Foggia Province, Tremiti Islands, San Domino Island, I Pagliai, coarse organogenic detritus. Grimaldi de Zio & D’Addabbo Gallo (2001), Grimaldi de Zio et al. (2003)

• 41°26′18′′N, 15°00′20′′E [41°26′N, 16°00′E]; 0 m bsl: [FAO37] Italy, Foggia Province, Foce Aloisa. Grimaldi de Zio et al. (2003)

• 40 ° 43.09′N, 17 ° 48.64′E; 20 m bsl: [FAO37] Italy, Brindisi Province, Torre Guaceto, coarse sand. Accogli et al. (2011)

Indian Ocean:

• 03°28′N, 73°33′E; 2 m bsl: [FAO51] Republic of the Maldives, Felidhoo Island, medium sand. Gallo et al. (2007)

Ionian Sea:

• 39 ° 51.26′N, 18°23.55′E; 10 m bsl: [FAO37] Italy, Lecce Province, Gagliano, coarse sand. Accogli et al. (2011)

• 39 ° 51.26′N, 18°23.55′E; 20 m bsl: [FAO37] Italy, Lecce Province, Gagliano, coarse sand. Accogli et al. (2011)

• 39°51′20′′N, 18°23′59′′E; 0 m bsl: [FAO37] Italy, Lecce Province, Gagliano del Capo. Grimaldi de Zio et al. (2003)

• 39 ° 58.71′N, 18°18.28′E [39°49′N, 18°18′E]; 10 m bsl: [FAO37] Italy, Lecce Province, San Gregorio, coarse sand. Accogli et al. (2011)

• 39°48′40′′N, 18°40′38′′E [39°49′N, 18°19′E]; 0 m bsl: [FAO37] Italy, Lecce Province, San Gregorio. Grimaldi de Zio et al. (2003)

Ligurian Sea:

• 43°32 ′ N, 10°12′E; 7 m bsl: [FAO37] Italy, Livorno Province, 300 m NW of Meloria Shoals Lighthouse, sediment samples. D’Addabbo Gallo et al. (1999a)

Mediterranean Sea:

• 35°54′N, 14°32′E; 30 m bsl: [FAO37] Republic of Malta, SE coast of Malta, Sicily Channel, 1.75 km SE of the entrance of Grand Harbour and 1.4 km NW of the coastal settlement Xghajra, coarse organogenic detritus. Grimaldi de Zio & D’Addabbo Gallo (2001)

Tyrrhenian Sea:

• 40°20′30′′N, 09°40′15′′E; 40–45 m bsl: [FAO37] Type Locality: Italy, Sardinia Island, Nuoro Province, Orosei Gulf, organogenic detritus. Grimaldi de Zio et al. (1988)

• 40°20′30′′N, 09°40′15′′E; 21–40 and 61–80 m bsl: [FAO37] Italy, Sardinia Island, Nuoro Province, Orosei Gulf, sand in Posidonia seagrass meadow and coralligenous detritus. D’Addabbo Gallo et al. (1999a), Grimaldi de Zio & D’Addabbo Gallo (2001), Grimaldi de Zio et al. (2003)

• 38°36′N, 14°55′E; 40 m bsl: [FAO37] Italy, Aeolian Islands, Secca del Capo, coralligenous bank, subtidal zone, coarse coralligenous detritus. Grimaldi de Zio & D’Addabbo Gallo (2001)

Record numbers (Sea/Ocean classification): Adriatic Sea: 5, Indian Ocean: 1, Ionian Sea: 5, Ligurian Sea: 1, Mediterranean Sea: 1, Tyrrhenian Sea: 3; total: 16.

Record numbers (FAO classification): FAO37: 15, FAO51: 1; total: 16.

Remarks: This is a Mediterranean species, however relatively recently it was also reported from the Indian Ocean. It is not very common and it has only been reported from the subtidal zone to ca. 40 m bsl from sand and coralligenous and organogenic detritus. In our opinion the Indian Ocean locality of this species needs confirmation because it lies far outside the typical geographical range of this species.