Short Notes ©Malacological Society of Japan75 Lectotype Designation and Redescription of Laemodonta exaratoides Kawabe, 1992 (Gastropoda: Pulmonata: Ellobiidae) Hiroshi Fukuda1* and Kunitsugu Kawabe2 1Conservation of Aquatic Biodiversity, Faculty of Agriculture, Okayama University, Tsushima-naka 1-1-1, Kita-ku, Okayama 700-8530, Japan; *[email protected] 2Wakamiyadai 15-18, Yokosuka 239-0829, Japan Laemodonta exaratoides is an ellobiid that is species. known from Japan and South Korea (Higo et al., We designate the lectotype of L. exaratoides and 1999; Kurozumi, 2000; Min et al., 2008). Kuroda redescribe it in the following lines. (1953, 1958, 1963) cited the unavailable Latin name as “Kuroda, MS.” in his lists of non-marine Family Ellobiidae Pfeiffer, 1854 molluscs of Japan, with no morphological Subfamily Pythiinae Odhner, 1925 descriptions for the species. Kurozumi (2000) cited Genus Laemodonta Philippi, 1846 the author and year of L. exaratoides as “Kuroda, 1957” [the correct year of publication is 1958; see Laemodonta exaratoides Kawabe, 1992 Malacological Society of Japan (1958: index 6; 1979: 115)]. This was followed by Masuda & Laemodonta (Plecotrema) exaratoides Kuroda, Uchiyama (2004), Nakamoto et al. (2007), Hamada 1953: 11 [nomen nudum]; Kuroda, 1963: 19 (2008), Hayase et al. (2009) and Noda et al. (2009). [nomen nudum]; Kawabe, 1992: 6–8, fig. 1. However, this is not adequate because Kuroda’s Laemodonta exaratoides Kuroda, 1958: 274 [nomen (1958) text constituted a brief mention of the nudum]; Hosaka & Fukuda, 1996: 86, 95, figs distribution range alone and lacked any description. 74, 75; Fukuda, 1996: 43–44, pl. 6, fig. 13; Toki One of us (Kawabe, 1992) gave the first et al., 1998: 183–184, figs 1, 2; Fukuda et al., description of the species with a photograph of the 1999: 53, fig. 27; Yamashita, 1999: 12, 21, fig. shell and L. exaratoides thereby became available 32; Kimura & Kimura, 1999: 50, 51, 55, fig. 6T; under the International Code of Zoological Higo et al., 1999: 405; Fukuda et al., 2000: 145, Nomenclature. Unfortunately the original 189, fig. 18t; Fukuda, 2000: 129, 131, 137, fig. description was published only in Japanese and a 5-20d; Kurozumi, 2000: 819, pl. 406, fig. 10; holotype and paratypes were not designated therein. Matsukuma, 2001: 412, pl. 14, unnumbered fig.; Since Kawabe (1992), the species has often been Aichi Prefectural Government, 2002: 536, referred by Japanese and Korean authors, but an textfig.; Ishikawa, 2002: 131, textfig.; Hyogo English description has been given only by Prefectural Government, 2003: 190–191, pl. 4, Kurozumi (2000) up to the present time. unnumbered fig.; Masuda & Uchiyama, 2004: As shown in the synonymy below, the species 127, textfigs; Min et al., 2004: 340, 341, fig. has often been confused with other congeners, i.e. L. 1071; Nakano, 2006: 406, textfig.; Nakamoto et exarata (H. & A. Adams, 1854) [possible synonym al., 2007: 76, 77, pl. 3, fig. 4; Hamada, 2008: 60, of L. octanflacta (Jonas, 1845) according to pl. 60, fig. G5006; Aichi Environmental Research Hubendick (1956)], L. monilifera (H. & A. Adams, Center, 2009: 546, textfigs.; Suzuki et al., 2009: 1854), L. octanflacta, and L. siamensis (Morelet, 16, 66, fig. 67a, b; Hayase et al., 2009: 30–32, 1875), because of their similar shell characters. L. fig. 5; Noda et al., 2009: 87, 88, pl. 3, fig. A. exaratoides is regarded as threatened in modern Laemodonta (Plecotrema) monilifera — Takahashi Japan and is listed in many regional Red Data & Okamoto, 1969: 58, pl. 13, fig. 6 Books (e.g. Fukuda, 1996; Matsukuma, 2001; Aichi [misidentification]. Prefectural Government, 2002; Ishikawa, 2002; Laemodonta (Plecotrema) exarata — Abe, 1981: Hyogo Prefectural Government, 2003; Nakano, 50–51, pl. 3, fig. 7, pl. 6, figs 6, 7 2006) as an important species in the context of [misidentification]. biodiversity conservation. A lectotype designation is Laemodonta sp. — Fukuda et al., 1990: 22, pl. 2, therefore needed for the precise identification of the fig. 9; Fukuda, 1992: 4, 76, textfig. 2 [epithet 76 VENUS 69 (1–2), 2010 was hidden by a dot line]; Kimura & Masuda, (type locality), 30 May 1976, by K. Kawabe. 1996: 94–97, textfig. 1, pl. 1, figs 1–3. Deposited in the National Museum of Nature and Laemodonta (Plecotrema) octanflata [sic] — Science, Tokyo, with a catalog number NSMT-Mo Yamashita, 1994: 19, fig. 3 [misidentification]. 77001. Laemodenta [sic] exaratoides — Kawai, 1999: 12, Paralectotypes (Figs. 2, 3): 4 shells, all collected 13, fig. 1. alive from the same locality as the lectotype. Laemodonata [sic] octanfracta [sic] — Kwon et al., Paralectotype 1: same data as the lectotype, NSMT- 2001: 188, 189, fig. 716 [misidentification]. Mo 77002. Paralectotypes 2–4: several meters east Laemodonta siamensis — Hamada, 2008: 60, pl. 60, of the seawall on which the lectotype and fig. G5004 [misidentification]. paralectotype 1 were found, under rocks scattered on wet mud in a small reed field, 31 May 1971, by Lectotype (Fig. 1): The syntype figured by K. Kawabe. NSMT-Mo 77003, 77004, 77005. Kawabe (1992: 6, fig. 1). Collected alive from Measurements for the lectotype and crevices in a broken, old seawall in the upper paralectotypes are shown in Table 1. intertidal zone on the northern shore of the Redescription (based on lectotype): Shell small, innermost part of Koajiro Bay, Misaki-cho-Koajiro, ovate fusiform, solid, light yellowish brown. Apex Miura, Kanagawa Prefecture, Pacific coast of pointed. Base with distinct spiral keel surrounding central Honshu, Japan, 35°09´49˝N, 139°37´37˝E wide umbilical depression. Spire moderately high, Figs. 1–3. Laemodonta exaratoides Kawabe, 1992. 1. Lectotype. 2. Paralectotype 1. 3. Paralectotype 4. Measurements: see Table 1. Short Notes 77 Table 1. Shell measurements (mm) for Laemodonta exaratoides Kawabe, 1992. Lectotype Paralectotype Paralectotype Paralectotype Paralectotype (Fig. 1) 1 (Fig. 2) 2 3 4 (Fig. 3) No. ws 8.5 6.5 8.0 7.5 7.5 L 8.7 7.9 6.5 6.4 6.0 W 5.1 4.7 4.0 4.0 4.0 Lbw 6.5 6.0 5.1 4.9 4.7 Lpw 2.2 2.2 1.6 1.6 1.3 Wpw 3.8 3.5 2.9 2.9 2.7 Ll3ws 7.7 7.2 5.9 5.7 5.4 W3w 2.7 2.5 2.0 2.0 1.8 Lap 5.0 4.6 4.1 3.8 3.9 Wap 2.8 2.9 2.5 2.4 2.5 Wu 1.2 1.1 0.7 0.8 0.7 No. scbw 38 35 47 41 47 No. scpw 8 7 10 11 8 Abbreviations: number of whorls (No. ws), shell length (L), shell width (W), length of body whorl (Lbw), length and width of penultimate whorl (Lpw, Wpw), length of last three whorls (Ll3ws), width of third whorl (W3w), length and width of aperture (Lap, Wap), width of umbilical depression (Wu), and number of spiral cords on body whorl and penultimate whorl (No. scbw, No. scpw). consisting of 8.5 whorls, weakly convex, suture specimens, and therefore the size of the posterior shallow, surface sculptured with many (38 on body parietal tooth may depend on age. whorl, 8 on penultimate whorl) narrow, incised Miura (2008: 144, text figs) illustrated “L. spiral cords. Body whorl about 76% shell length. exaratoides”, but his specimens are identifiable as Aperture elongate oval; inner lip with three evenly L. siamensis because they have a heavily eroded spaced, strong teeth; columellar tooth oblique apex, wavy spiral cords and a less developed toward base, strong; anterior parietal tooth longest; umbilical keel, and lack periostracal hairs, all of posterior parietal tooth small; outer lip sharp, inside which are diagnostic characters of the latter species. heavily thickened, with one low, ridge-like tooth Although Toki et al. (1998) illustrated the head- opposite parietal teeth. Protoconch eroded, details foot of L. exaratoides, other characters of the soft- unknown. parts of the species have never been published, as Remarks: The lectotype is quite large in size for with all other Japanese species of Laemodonta. To the species. The paralectotypes 1–3 (6.0 to 6.5 mm confirm the relationships of these species, in length) are of average size for the species by anatomical and molecular work is needed. comparison with other specimens recorded in the references cited in the above synonymy. References The lectotype and four paralectotypes are fully Abe, C. 1981. Fauna of the Land and Fresh Water mature, with a thickened outer lip, and they lack Mollusca of Tokushima Prefecture. 88 pp., periostracal hair on the shell surface. However, it is 10+19 pls. Kyoiku-shuppan Center, Tokushima. known that this species has many short hairs with (in Japanese) regular intervals along the spiral cords (well Aichi Environmental Research Center (ed.) 2009. illustrated by Abe, 1981: pl. 6, fig. 7). The hairs are Threatened Wildlife of Aichi Prefecture. Red usually observed in juveniles but lost in old Data Book Aichi 2009 – Animals. 651 pp. specimens. Department of the Environment, Aichi Prefectural Government, Nagoya. (in The posterior parietal tooth is variable in size Japanese) and shape. It is large and strong in the lectotype and Aichi Prefectural Government (ed.) 2002. Threatened paralectotypes 2, 3 and 4 (Fig. 3), but very weak and Wildlife of Aichi Prefecture. Red Data Book almost invisible in paralectotype 1 (Fig. 2). The Aichi – Animals. 597 pp. Department of the outer lip of the last specimen is thinner than all other Environment, Aichi, Nagoya. (in Japanese) 78 VENUS 69 (1–2), 2010 Fukuda, H. 1992. Representative molluscan species for Hyogo Prefecture 2003. 2+2+382 pp., 9 occurring in Yamaguchi Prefecture. In: Mitoki, pls. Hyogo Environmental Advancement T. (ed.), A Review of the Molluscan Fauna of Association, Kobe. (in Japanese) Yamaguchi Prefecture, Western Japan, pp.