Studies on Mollusca of the Family Cymatiidae

Abstract

The thesis is presented as 10 separate papers the first seven leading up to the two main works, a monograph of New Zealand Cenozoic and Recent Cymatiidae and a review of world genera of the Cymatiidae. In the first paper, a new subspecies of Ranularia dunkeri (Lischke) is described from the Kermadec Islands; the nominate subspecies is found only in southern Japan. In the second paper, the International Commission on Zoological Nomenclature is asked to use its plenary powers to validate the name Murex lotorium Linnaeus, 1758 in its accustomed sense. In the third paper the genus Thalassocyon Barnard, 1960 is reviewed, and because of its shell and radula is transferred from the Cymatiidae to the Ficidae. Thalassocyon contains T. bonus Barnard, 1960, deep water off South Africa, and T tui Dell 1967, deep water off the Kermadec Islands and north-eastern New Zealand. In the fourth paper the species of the subgenus Monoplex of the genus Septa are reviewed; the taxa recognized are S. (M.) Parthenopea parthenopea (salis, 1793), Miocene to Recent, southern Europe, and Recent central eastern and western Atlantic Ocean, south coast of South Africa, and Australasia; S (M.) parthenopea echo (Kits, 1961), Recent, Japan; and S. (M.) parthenopea keenae n.subsp., Recent, central western America and the Galapagos Islands. In the fifth paper the Cymatiidae of the genus Charonia are reviewed. Taxa recognized are C. tritonis tritonis (Linnaeus, 1758), Recent, Indo-Pacific; C. tritonis variegate (Lamarck, 1816), Recent, Mediterranean and eastern and western central Atlantic; C. lampas lampas (Linnaeus, 1758), Oligocene to Recent, southern Europe, and Recent, Channel Is. to Angola; C. lampas pustulata (Euthyme, 1889), Pleistocene and Recent, South Africa; C. lampas sauliae (Reeve, 1844), Recent, Japan; C. lampas rubicunda (Perry, 1811), Recent, Australia; and C. lampas capax Finlay, 1927, Pleistocene and Recent, New Zealand. In the sixth paper many nomenclatural and taxonomic problems in the family are discussed, in preparation for the Catalogue of world species in the ninth paper. In the seventh paper the distribution, ecology, and variation of New Zealand species of the genera Cymatona and Fusitriton are described. Fusitriton is represented by the single subspecies F. cancellatus laudandus Finlay. Cymatona is represented by four subspecies C. kampyla kampyla (Watson, 1885), Recent, south-eastern Australia; C. kampyla delli n subsp., Resent, New Zealand and its subantarctic islands; C. kampyla tomlini Powell, 1955 Resent, Macquarie ID.; and C. kampyla jobbernsi (King, 1933), Pliocene and Lower Pleistocene, central New Zealeand. The eighth paper is a monograph of the Cenozoic and Recent Cymatiidae of New Zealand. The 53 species and subspecies are classified in four subfamilies and 19 genera and subgenera. The importance of the radula in subfamily classification is emphasised, and many nomenclatural changes are proposed. The new subfamily Distrosioninae the new subgenus Haurocharonia, and new species and/or subspecies of Austrotriton, Cabestana, Cymatona, Haurokoa, Proxicharonia, and Sassia are erected. The ninth paper is a review of the supraspecific taxa and catalogue of the species of the Cymatiidae of the world. The 40 genera and subgenera of which three are new, are placed in four subfamilies. The type species and representative species of all taxa are figured. The tenth paper summarises information on centres of evolution and dispersal in the family. Dispersal is by transport of planktotrophic veliger larvae in ocean currents. The main centres of evolution were the Indo-West Pacific Faunal Province, southern Europe, western, North America, the Caribbean Sea, and Australasia, and the main dispersal. routes were through the Penama seaway, down the west coast of America and Africa, and around, the southern hemisphere in the west-wind drift. The last route was particularly important during the Pleistocene.