Babelomurexsp. A aff. B. yamatoensis Kosuge, 1986 (Fig. 7C, D)

Babelomurex yamatoensis Kosuge, 1986: 70, pl. 28, figs 1-5, pl 29, fig. 1.

TYPE MATERIAL. — Holotype (IMT 86-3; not examined; figured by Kosuge [1986: pl. 28, fig. 1] along with a paratype [figs 2, 4]).

TYPE LOCALITY. — South China Sea.

MATERIAL EXAMINED. — Banc Arago, BENTHAUS, stn DW 1969, 23°22’S, 150°43.2’W, 200-640 m, 1 dd (fragment, Fig. 7C, D).

DISTRIBUTION. — The Babelomurex yamatoensis group of species ranges from Japan (Kosuge 1986: pl. 28, figs 3, 5), to the South China Sea and the Philippines, New Caledonia, Loyalty Ridge, Norfolk Ridge and Vanuatu, mostly in deep waters (empty shells in 195-360 m, alive in 254-264 m [Oliverio 2008b], found occasionally alive at shallower depth [40-80 m] in the Philippines). Range extension to SW Pacific.

REMARKS

The complex of species in the B. yamatoensis group is traditionally diagnosed basing on a combination of protoconch and teleoconch characters (Kosuge 1986). Both sets are mostly lacking in the fragment here recorded and thus, a definitive species identification is impossible.