Abstract
Despite being one of the most speciose families, Epitoniidae still remains at present as one of the least understood gastropod families worldwide. This is a consequence of most of the species being only known from shell morphology, added to the wide intraspecific variability of this character and the fact that shell morphology has proven to have frequent examples of parallelisms and convergences among different (unrelated) species. Knowledge of other morphological and anatomical characters in this group is still in its first steps, and such information is currently available for a limited number of species, thus being difficult (when not impossible) to evaluate its taxonomic value. The aim of this study is to re-evaluate the diversity of Epitoniidae occurring in the Atlantic coast of Patagonia. As part of this study, the validity of only four of the six species described / reported from this area could be confirmed: Epitonium georgettinum, E. striatellum, E. fabrizioi and “Cirsotrema” magellanicum. In addition, three new species were recognized and are described herein: Epitonium evanidstriatum, “Cirsotrema” ctenodentatum and “Cirsotrema” strebeli. Information on the shell (including the protoconch), operculum, radula and jaw for these species is here provided, in most cases for the first time. A neotype for Scalaria magellanica is here designated. Furthermore, “Cirsotrema” georgeanum is here proposed as a replacement name for Scalaria fenestrata Strebel, 1908 (not Meneghini in de Stefani, 1875, nor Scalaria fenestrata Wöhrmann, 1889); and that taxon is regarded as a full species, instead of as a synonym of “Cirsotrema” magellanicum, as suggested in some previous publications. This study reveals that the usage of isolated (either morphological or anatomical) characters is usually insufficient for identifying some of the species from Patagonia; however, if these characters are combined, all species may be clearly recognized.
References
Bonfitto, A. & Sabelli, B. (2001) Epitonium (Asperiscala?) oliverioi, a new species of Epitoniidae (Gastropoda) from Madagascar. Journal of Molluscan Studies, 67, 269–274.
https://doi.org/10.1093/mollus/67.3.269Bouchet, P. & Warén, A. (1986) Revision of the northeast Atlantic bathyal and abyssal Aclididae, Eulimidae, Epitoniidae (Mollusca, Gastropoda). Bollettino Malacologico, 2 (Supplement), 300–576.
Boury, E. de (1911) Étude sur les sous-genres de Scalidae vivants et fossiles. Monographies des Gyroscala et des Circuloscala. Journal de Conchyliologie, 58, 212–263.
Brown, L.G. & Neville, B.D. (2015) Catalog of the Recent taxa of the families Epitoniidae and Nystiellidae (Mollusca: Gastropoda) with a bibliography of the descriptive and systematic literature. Zootaxa, 3907 (1), 1–188.
https://doi.org/10.11646/zootaxa.3907.1.1Carcelles, A. (1944) Catálogo de los moluscos marinos de Puerto Quequén. Revista del Museo de La Plata, zoología, 3, 233–309, pls. 1–15.
Carcelles, A. (1950) Catálogo de los moluscos marinos de Patagonia. Anales Museo Nahuel Huapí, 2, 41–92, pls. 1–6.
Carcelles, A. & Parodiz, J.J. (1938) Moluscos del contenido estomacal de Astropecten cingulatus Sladen. Physis, 12, 251–266.
Carcelles, A. & Williamson, S. (1951) Catálogo de los moluscos marinos de la Provincia Magallánica. Revista Museo Argentino de Ciencias Naturales "Bernardino Rivadavia", Zoología, 2, 225–383.
Cárdenas, J., Aldea, C. & Valdovinos, C. (2008) Chilean marine Mollusca of the northern Patagonia collected during the CIMAR-10 Fjords cruise. Gayana, 72, 31–67.
https://doi.org/10.4067/s0717-65382008000200010Castellanos, Z.J.A. (1970) Catálogo de los moluscos marinos bonaerenses. Anales de la Comisión de Investigaciones Científicas, Provincia de Buenos Aires, 8, 9–365.
Clench, W.J. & Turner, R.D. (1951) The genus Epitonium in the western Atlantic. Part 1. Johnsonia, 2, 249–288.
Clench, W.J. & Turner R.D. (1952) The genera Epitonium (Part 2), Depressiscala, Cylindriscala, Nystiella and Solutiscala in the western Atlantic. Johnsonia, 2, 289–356.
d'Orbigny, A.D. (1834–1847) Voyage dans L'Amérique Méridionale (le Brésil, la République Orientale de l’Uruguay, la République Argentine, la Patagonie, la République du Chili, la République de Bolivia, la République du Pérou) exécuté pendant les années 1826, 1827, 1828, 1829, 1830, 1831, 1832 et 1833, 5(3) [Mollusques]. Bertrand, Paris, xliii + 758 pp., 85 pls. [in Atlas]
d'Orbigny, A.D. (1841–1853) Histoire physique, politique et naturelle de Île de Cuba, 2 [Mollusques]. Bertrand, Paris, 380 pp., 28 pls. [in Atlas]
Díaz Merlano, J.M. & Puyana Hegedus, M. (1994) Moluscos del Caribe colombiano. Un catálogo ilustrado. Colciencias y Fundación Natura Colombia, Santa Fe de Bogotá, 291 pp., 74 pls.
Gittenberger, A. & Gittenberger, E. (2005) A hitherto unnoticed adaptive radiation: epitoniid species (Gastropoda: Epitoniidae) associated with corals. Contributions to Zoology, 74, 125–203.
Gittenberger, A., Kokshoorn, B. & Gittenberger, E. (2006) A molecular phylogeny of Epitoniidae (Mollusca: Gastropoda), focusing on the species associated with corals. In: Gittenberger, A. (Ed.), The evolutionary history of parasitic gastropods and their coral hosts in the Indo-Pacific. Faculty of Mathematics and Natural Sciences, Leiden University, Leiden, pp. 207–213.
Kiener, L.C. (1838) Species Général et Iconographie des Coquilles Vivantes. Genre Scalaire. Rousseau, Paris, 22 pp., 7 pls.
Kilburn, R.N. (1985) The family Epitoniidae (Mollusca: Gastropoda) in southern Africa and Mozambique. Annals of the Natal Museum, 27, 239–337.
Kokshoorn, B., Goud, J., Gittenberger, E. & Gittenberger, A. (2007) Epitoniid parasites (Gastropoda, Caenogastropoda, Epitoniidae) and their host sea anemones (Cnidaria, Actiniaria, Ceriantharia) in the Spermonde archipelago, Sulawesi, Indonesia. Basteria, 71, 33–56.
Lima, S.F.B., Christoffersen, M.L., Barros, J.C.N. & Folly, M. (2012) Records and descriptions of Epitoniidae (Orthogastropoda: Epitonioidea) from the deep sea off Northeastern Brazil and a checklist of Epitonium and Opalia from the Atlantic Coast of South America. International Journal of Zoology, Article ID 394381, 1–12.
Melvill, J.C. & Standen, R. (1912) The marine Mollusca of the Scottish National Antarctic Expedition. Part. 2. Transactions of the Royal Society of Edinburgh, 48, 333–366, 1 pl.
Mörch, O.A.L. (1876) A descriptive catalogue of the Scalidae of the West India islands. Journal of the Academy of Natural Sciences of Philadelphia, Series 2, 8, 189–207, pl. 29.
Nielsen, S.N. & Valdovinos, C. (2008) Early Pleistocene mollusks of the Tubul Formation, South-Central Chile. The Nautilus, 122, 201–216.
Nyst, H. (1871) Tableau synoptique et synonymique des espèces vivantes et fossiles du genre Scalaria décrites par les auteurs, avec l'indication des pays de provenance ainsi que des dépôts dans lesquels les espèces fossiles ont été recueillies. Mémoires de la Société Malacologique de Belgique, 6, 77–147.
Pastorino, G. (1995) Moluscos costeros recientes de Puerto Pirámide, Chubut, Argentina. Academia Nacional de Ciencias, 93, 3–30.
Pastorino, G. & Penchaszadeh, P. (1998) Epitonium fabrizioi (Gastropoda: Epitoniidae), a new species from Patagonia, Argentina. The Nautilus, 112, 63–68.
Philippi, R.A. (1845) Diagnosen einiger neuen conchlylien. Archiv für Naturgeschichte, 11, 50–71.
Powell, A.W.B. (1951) Antarctic and subantarctic Mollusca: Pelecypoda and Gastropoda. Discovery Reports, 26, 47–196.
https://doi.org/10.5962/bhl.part.16335Powell, A.W.B. (1960) Antarctic and Subantarctic Mollusca. Records of the Auckland Institute and Museum, 5, 117–193.
Redfern, C. (2000) Bahamian seashells. 1161 species from Abaco, Bahamas. Bahamianseashells.com, Inc., Florida, iii–viii + 501 pp.
Rios, E. (1994) Seashells of Brazil. Editora da FURG, Rio Grande, 368 pp., 113 pls.
Scarabino, V. (1977) Moluscos del Golfo San Matías (provincia de Río Negro, República Argentina). Inventario y claves para su identificación. Comunicaciones de la Sociedad Malacológica del Uruguay, 4, 177–285.
Strebel, H. (1905) Beiträge zur Kenntnis der Molluskenfauna der Magalhanaen-Provinz nº 3. Zoologische Jahrbücher. Abteilung für Systematik, Geographie und Biologie der Tierre, 22, 575–666.
Strebel, H. (1908) Die Gastropoden. Wissenschaftliche Ergebnisse der Schwedischen Südpolar-Expedition, 1901-1903 unter Leitung von Dr Otto Nordenskjold, 6 (1), 1–112, pls.1–6.
von Ihering, H. (1907) Les molusques fossiles du Tertiare et du Crétacé Supérieur de l´Argentine. Anales del Museo Nacional de Buenos Aires, 14, 1–611.
Weil, A., Brown, L. & Neville, B. (1999) The wentletrap book. Guide to the Recent Epitoniidae of the world. Evolver srl., Rome, 244 pp.
Zelaya, D.G. (2005) Systematics and biogeography of marine gastropod molluscs from South Georgia. Spixiana, 28, 109–139.
Zelaya, D.G., Pimenta, A. & Absalão, R. (2006) A systematics revision of the Benthobrookula (Gastropoda, Archaeogastropoda) from the Scotia Sea, Antarctica. Journal of Molluscan Studies, 72, 77–87.
https://doi.org/10.1093/mollus/eyi050