Coralliophila fimbriata (A. Adams, 1854)

(Fig. 4 E-I)

Concholepas (Coralliobia) fimbriata A. Adams, 1854: 93 .

Coralliobia cancellata Pease, 1861: 399 .

Coralliobia sculptilis Pease, 1865: 513 .

Coralliobia smithi Yen, 1942: 226 .

Coralliobia densicostata Shikama, 1963: 62, fig. 1.

TYPE MATERIAL. — Concholepas fimbriata: syntype BMNH 1985103, figured by Kosuge & Suzuki (1985: pl. 48, fig. 8).

Coralliobia cancellata: not found (Kay 1965: 85). Coralliobia sculptilis: not found (Kay 1965: 86). Coralliobia smithi: holotype (BMNH 94.4.5.17; figured by Kosuge & Suzuki [1985: pl 45, fig. 5]).

Coralliobia densicostata: syntype (KPM NG0120043; figured by Kosuge & Suzuki [1985: pl. 45, fig. 6]) and by Higo et al. [2001: 66, G2411]).

TYPE LOCALITY. — Concholepas fimbriata: Cagayan, Mindanao, Philippines.

Coralliobia cancellata: Hawaiian Islands [Sandwich Islands].

Coralliobia sculptilis: Hawaiian Islands [Sandwich Islands].

Coralliobia smithi: Macclesfied Bank, China Sea.

Coralliobia densicostata: Nase, Amami-Oshima, Japan.

MATERIAL EXAMINED. — The type material of Concholepas fimbriata and Coralliobia smithi and:

Rurutu, BENTHAUS, stn DW 1997-2001, 22°26’-27’S, 151°20’W, 200-1000 m, 2 dd. — Port of Rurutu, stn DW 2001, 22°26.6’S, 151°20.1’W, 200-550 m, 2 dd. — East cost of Rurutu, stn DW 2003, 22°27.6’S, 151°18.9’W, 250-330 m, 1 dd. — East coast of Rurutu, stn DW 2005, 22°28.1’S, 151°18.3’W, 680-1800 m, 1 dd. — Rimatara Is., stn DW 2012, 22°28.4’S, 152°49.8’W, 270-320 m, 1 dd. — Rurutu (Avera), stn DW 1996, 22°29.1’S, 151°21.9’W, 489-1050 m, 1 dd. — Rimatara Is., stn DW 2020, 22°37’S, 152°49.1’W, 920-930 m, 7 dd. — Rimatara Is., stn DW 2018, 22°37.1’S, 152°49.1’W, 770- 771 m, 2 dd. — Rimatara Is., stn DW 2015, 22°38.2’S, 152°49.5’W, 250-280 m, 1 dd. — Rimatara Is., stn DW 2013, 22°38.6’S, 152°49.7’W, 80-93 m, 17 dd (one shell cemented to the coral in position, Fig. 4 G-I). — Banc Lotus, stn DW 1947, 23°48.5’S, 147°53.5’W, 120- 150 m, 1 dd. — Stn DW 1939, North of Raivavae Is., 23°49.7’S, 147°41.6’W, 100 m, 1 dd, 1 lv (detached from the original coral, Fig. 4E, F).

DISTRIBUTION. —Tropical and subtropical Indo-West Pacific (Kay 1979; Kosuge & Suzuki 1985). New Caledonia,empty shells in 5-487 m, alive in 90-367 m (Oliverio 2008b).Austral Islands, empty shells in 93-920 m, living in 100 m.

REMARKS

This species lives on the underside of corals of the family Agariciidae Gray, 1847, where a characteristic scar is produced by each individual on the coral. They are usually present in clusters of two or more animals, of which at least one is of larger size, surrounded by one to several smaller ones. Investigations are in progress to check if this species also is a protandric hermaphrodite as other coralliophilines (Richters & Luque 2002, 2003), as it would be suggested by the size distribution in the clusters. Each individual uses a small hole in the coral skeleton (Fig. 4 G-I) to reach the upper side of the colony, presumably to feed on the cnidarian tissues. The protoconch of 3.2 whorls, 650 µm high, 620 µm wide at the base, is sculptured with pustules over the embryonic whorl, and with two spiral keels, subsutural prosocline threads and a series of tubercules over each keel on the 2.2 larval whorls. Coralliophila fimbriata is the type species of Coralliobia H. Adams & A. Adams, 1853 . I prefer to keep this species in Coralliophila until the systematics of coralliophilines is clarified.