Scaphander illecebrosus Iredale, 1925

Siegwald, Justine & Malaquias, Manuel António E., 2025, Bringing light into deep-sea biodiversity: a systematic revision and molecular phylogeny of the genus Scaphander Montfort, 1810 (Gastropoda: Cephalaspidea), with a focus on the Indo-Pacific, Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society 203, pp. 1-60 : 30-31

Scaphander illecebrosus Iredale, 1925

( Figs 10 , 18 ; Table 2)

Scaphander illecebrosus Iredale, 1925: 269 , pl. 42, fig. 14; Beesley et al. 1998: 949; Valdés 2008: 681.

Taxonomic history: Scaphander illecebrosus was introduced by Iredale (1925) from a shell collected in the Bass Strait south of Australia during the Endeavour expedition. He compared the shell with S. mundus , but concluded that differences in the sculpture separated it from the latter species. Iredale (1925) also compared S. illecebrosus with the fossil species Scaphander tatei Cossmann, 1897 but noted the absence of a widely perforated apex of the spire that characterizes S. tatei . Valdés (2008) noted the similarities between the descriptions of S. subglobosa (here synonymized with S. cancellatus ) and S. illecebrosus but kept them as separate species.

Type material: Scaphander illecebrosus Iredale, 1925 — Australia: Tasmania, Bass Strait, 32 km east of Babel Island , 39°57 ʹ 00"S, 148°45 ʹ 00"E, 119 m, holotype, AM C.53766 , H = 12.5 mm, images seen ( Fig. 18 ) .

Diagnosis: Shell ovoid, dirty white; periostracum pale yellow. Spiral sculpture composed of rows of ovoid punctuations. Apex rounded; posterior edge of outer lip rising slightly above apex.

Shell ( Fig. 18 ): Maximum H observed = 12.5 mm. Shell ovoid, only one whorl visible. Aperture wide, as long as shell, narrowing posteriorly. Apex rounded; spire concealed. Posterior edge of outer lip rounded, protruding slightly beyond apex. Parietal wall covered with thick, smooth white callus. Spiral sculpture composed of rows of ovoid punctuations. Periostracum pale yellow. Shell dirty white.

Radula: Unknown.

Digestive tract: Unknown.

Male reproductive system: Unknown.

Ecology: Found at 119 m depth. Feeding habits unknown.

Distribution ( Fig. 10 ): Australia; Bass Strait ( Iredale 1925).

Remarks: As was remarked by Valdés (2008), S. illecebrosus strongly resembles S. cancellatus , in addition to S. teramachii and the new species here described, Scaphander solomonensis . However, given that the three latter species are known only from more northern latitudes and that the holotype for S. illecebrosus could be a juvenile, we maintain all these species as valid.

Figures

Figure 10. Geographical distribution of Scaphander andamanicos, Scaphander cancellatos, Scaphander illecebrosos, and Scaphander sibogae. Geographical records are based on studied material and reliable literature records.

Figure 18. Shell of Scaphander illecebrosos, Australia, Tasmania (holotype, AM C.53766, H = 12.5 mm, images courtesy of the Australian Museum).