Lophiotoma vezzaroi, COSSIGNANI, 2015

Puillandre, Nicolas, Fedosov, Alexander E., Zaharias, Paul, Aznar-Cormano, Laetitia & Kantor, Yuri I., 2017, A quest for the lost types of Lophiotoma (Gastropoda: Conoidea: Turridae): integrative taxonomy in a nomenclatural mess, Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society 181, pp. 243-271 : 267

LOPHIOTOMA VEZZAROI COSSIGNANI, 2015

( FIG. 9F–G)

Lophiotoma abbreviata . – Okutani, 2000: pl. 313, fig. 54 (not of Reeve, 1843).

Lophiotoma cf. ruthveniana Melvill, 1923 . – Poppe, 2008: pl. 683, fig. 4.

Lophiotoma vezzaroi Cossignani, 2015: 30–31 , text figs.

Type material: Holotype MMM – Cupra Marittima.

Type locality: New Place Birat Samal Island , Philippines. Tangle net at 100–200 m.

Material examined: Three specimens sequenced ( Table S1), one specimen Tinina Balut Island , Philippines, tangle net at 100– 200 m .

Diagnosis: Shell medium sized (up to 39 mm), turriform, with prominent spiral sculpture; shell coloured with dense irregularly shaped brown to dark brown spots, siphonal canal off-white to tan. Whorl outline moderately convex, angulated at sinus. Sinus cords paired, subequal in size, with narrow interspace. Subsutural ramp and shell base sculptured with varying in width and prominence cords and finer riblets. Shell base convex, strongly constricted to rather slender siphonal canal, sculptured with dense spiral to oblique cords. Aperture elongate, anal sinus moderately deep, wide, angulated at tip. Aperture distinctly lirate inside. Radula examined in one poorly preserved specimen from Tinina, Balut Island ( Fig. 9G), in all respects similar to other studied herein species of Lophiotoma .

Remarks: The species was confused previously with Lophiotoma ruthveniana . Okutani (2000) illustrated a specimen very similar to Lophiotoma abbreviata . Although described from the Philippines, our material and the record of Okutani suggest that its distribution extends from Japan to Papua New Guinea and Vanuatu from 10 to 15 to more than 100 m depth.

Distribution: Vanuatu (sequenced specimens), Japan, Philippines and Papua New Guinea.