Kon.B.V.C. Section Coast is a branch of the ‘Koninklijke Belgische Vereniging voor Conchyliologie’ (Kon.B.V.C.) (Royal Belgian Society for Conchology) www.neptunea.org The Square House Pr. Stefanieplein 43 8400 Oostende Secretary: Frank Nolf Pr. Stefanieplein 43 B8 B-8400 Oostende Belgium e-mail <[email protected]> Webmaster: Delphine Clement Paasbloemlaan 8 8400 Oostende e-mail <[email protected]> Contact the secretary for subscription, delivery and payment (€ 12,0/issue + postage). Content: The distribution of species belonging to the genus Cymbium (Mollusca: Gastropoda: Volutidae) in Angolan waters and the description of a new species, by Frank Nolf ............................... 1-36 Covers: - Front cover: From top to bottom: Cymbium coenyei Nolf, 2017, Cymbium patulum (Broderip, 1830) and Cymbium fragile Fittkau & Stürmer, 1985. - Back cover: André Coenye, Belgian navigating officer of PEMARCO, who trawled off the Angolan coasts from 1960 to 1973. Layout: Frank Nolf Authors of articles published in ‘Neptunea’ state that new names and nomenclatural acts within their works are intended for pe rmanent, public scientific record. ‘Neptunea’ is produced in an edition containing simultaneous obtainable copies (ICZN, Fourth Edition, article 8.1.). ‘NEPTUNEA’ is a publication of B.V.C. Section Coast, issued four times a year on irregular basis Responsible editor: Frank Nolf, Pr. Stefanieplein 43 B8, B-8400 Oostende, Belgium Legal deposit: BD 52.109 The distribution of species belonging to the genus Cymbium (Mollusca: Gastropoda: Volutidae) in Angolan waters and the description of a new species Frank Nolf Pr. Stefanieplein, 43/8 B-8400 Oostende, Belgium [email protected] Keywords: Cymbium, VOLUTIDAE, Gastropoda, Pteropurpura dearmatus fairiana (Houart, 1979); Mollusca, new species, Angola, Congo- Xenophora testigera digitata von Martens, 1878 Kinshasa, and many others in the families MARGINELLIDAE, MURICIDAE, TURRIDAE, CLAVATULIDAE and Abstract: The present paper deals with the DRILLIIDAE. distribution of species within the genus Cymbium Among all these shells hundreds of Cymbium (Gastropoda: VOLUTIDAE) along the coasts of specimens were present. Most of them have Angola from the mouth of the Congo River in the been kept in the collections of the late Mrs. north to the mouth of the Cunene River in the Kermarrec-Labisse and the present author for south. Two known species occur in that area and more than fifty years waiting for comparison with a third, new one is described from the mouth of as much material from other sources as possible the Congo River, where it lives in a restricted making the description of a new species distribution range. appropriate and justified. Abbreviations: Genus Cymbium Röding, 1798 CFN: Private collection of Frank Nolf (Oostende, Belgium) Type taxon: Cymbium cymbium (Linnaeus, PEMARCO: Pêche maritime du Congo 1758) (type by absolute tautonomy) RBINS: Royal Belgian Institute for Natural Synonyms: Cymba Broderip, 1826; Yetus Science (Brussels, Belgium) Bowdich, 1822. ZSM: Zoologische Staatssammlung München, Germany The thirteen known species - and the additional NHMUK: Natural History Museum (London, UK) new one, described in this paper - in the genus Cymbium are geographically distributed from the Introduction: Hundreds of interesting shells western end of the Mediterranean Sea and the were gathered by A. Coenye, a Belgian coast of Portugal and then southward to West navigating officer of PEMARCO, when he Africa ending at the border of Angola and operated off the coasts of Congo-Kinshasa and Namibia (range extension herein). In contrast to Angola in the years 1960-1973. The late Mrs. what is generally believed the presence of Kermarrec-Labisse (1908-1992) obtained most Cymbium species on the Canary Islands is very of his collecting efforts which are now part of the doubtfull. Cymbium shells, handled by dealers author’s collection. Between Cabinda (Angola) and shell collectors and labeled as coming from and the mouth of the Cunene River (the border the Canaries, are most probably brought in by between Angola and Namibia, SW Africa) a lot of Spanish fishermen dredging off the coasts of new or uncommon species were trawled: Acesta Mauritania and Morocco. angolensis Adam & Knudsen, 1955; Adinopsis Cymbium species have a bathymetric range from skoogi Odhner, 1923; spectacular specimens of the littoral to about 50 m, but a few species also Aporrhais pesgallinae Barnard, 1963; Clavatula occur in deeper waters from 100 to 180 m. quinteni Nolf & Verstraeten, 2006; Clavatula Animals of Cymbium are voracious predators on xanteni Nolf & Verstraeten, 2006; Cymbium other molluscs by enveloping their victims with patulum (Broderip, 1830); Europicardium nolfi their giant foot before consumption. Swinnen, 2010; Fusinus albinus A. Adams, 1856; They are ovoviviparous: the extremely small giant specimens of Fusinus caparti Adam & eggs are kept in a pedal gland which assumes Knudsen, 1955; Glycymeris rafaelmesai Nolf & the role of an incubation pocket. The embryos Swinnen, 2013; large specimens of Latirus mollis develop and become the exact replicas of their G.B. Sowerby III, 1913; Nucula mariae Nolf, parents. They attain a shell length of 30-55 mm 2005; Phenacovolva patriciae Nolf 2008; and are then expulsed via the foot of the mother. Neptunea, vol. 14, n° 3 1 December 2017 1 Most Cymbium prefer a habitat of mud and sand In a preliminary step, it is very important to use at bottoms in quiet bays or lagoons from the littoral least three parameters to decide if a species can to about 50-75 m. be separated from similar species in a In spite of their relatively large dimensions and conchological way. A final diagnosis can appear solid appearance the West African species of the later on, after comparison of the shell genus Cymbium belong to a taxonomically not characteristics with the shape of the radula, the fully defined group within the family VOLUTIDAE. aspect and the colour of the newborn larva, the The genus Cymbium has often been subject of a number of larvae per birth, the pigmentation or thorough study in ancient and recent literature: pattern of the soft parts and finally the results of Broderip (1830), Pallary (1930), Weaver & DNA barcoding research. DuPont (1970), Tripodi (1972), Bruynseels There is certainly need for a complete revision of (1975), Marche-Marchad (1977), Marche- this genus by means of extensive field work Marchad & Rosso (1978), Fittkau & Stürmer along the West African coasts. Up to now the (1980 & 1985), Poppe & Goto (1992). A few new molluscan fauna of the Angolan waters has still species were described in the previous decades, not been fully studied. I hope that this paper can other species redescribed because they were result in a better comprehension of the confused with similar species or forgotten by lack differences among some of the Cymbium of recently collected material, despite the limited species living from the north to the south of the number of species. Many authors tried to revise Angolan coasts, especially with regard to the the genus Cymbium but most attempts failed study of Cymbium fragile, C. pachyus and C. since the material studied was obtained from patulum, so often confused in the past. unreliable sources and often data or conclusions were copied from each other. Descriptions often Cymbium coenyei nov. sp. refer to wrong figures and otherwise pictures are Pl. VI, Figs 18-21; Pl. VII, Figs 22-25; Pl. VIII, accompanied by incorrect captions. Top of the Figs 26-29; Pl. IX, Figs 30-33; Pl. X, Figs 34-37; bill is the illustration by Eisenberg (1981) of eight Pl. XI, Figs 38-41; Pl. XII, Figs 42-45; Pl. XIII, different species of Cymbium on Plate 93 of Figs 46-49; Pl. XIV, Figs 50-53; Pl. XV, Figs 54- which none was correctly identified. 57; Pl. XVI, Figs 58-61; Pl. XVII, Figs 62-65. The main problem is the lack of accurate locality data, certainly since most specimens are Type material: 15 specimens from a total of 58 obtained from fishermen and are intended for specimens. food purposes or processed as utensils. On the Holotype: off the mouth of the Congo River, other hand the material used in the present study near the lighthouse between Banana and was gathered by a Belgian fishermen who got Cabinda, Democratic Republic of the Congo. the assignement to pay attention to detailed 05°59’ S/ 12°21’ E. Trawled by Belgian information about localities, depth and habitat. fishermen (PEMARCO) from a muddy bottom at An important difficulty when studying shells of a depth of ca 20 m. 1967. RBINS (IG 33588, MT the genus Cymbium is the individual variability 3618). 121.23 mm. and above all the scarce number of Paratypes: All from the type locality and housed morphological characteristics that can be used in in the collection of the author (CFN). the diagnosis, the standardised shape and the Paratype 1: 152.79 mm absence of sculpture in this kind of shells, the Paratype 2: 135.29 mm relative small differences in colour and general Paratype 3: 146.62 mm outline between most species, the possible Paratype 4: 113.69 mm influence of habitat conditions and sexual Paratype 5: 138.59 mm dimorphism creating a more bulbous last whorl Paratype 6: 139.91 mm and a wider aperture in female specimens. Paratype 7: 114.33 mm In this study the following conchological Paratype 8: 125.89 mm characteristics are taken into consideration: Paratype 9: 115.92 mm general shape of shells, number of columellar Paratype 10: 139.76 mm folds, condition of protoconch, internal and Paratype 11: 90.39 mm external colour of shell, aspects of enameled Paratype 12: 118.75 mm layer, periostracum. Particular attention was paid Paratype 13: 117.35 mm to the condition of the sutural ramp, the Paratype 14: 118.92 mm protoconch and its possible callus, the adapical siphonal notch, the extension of the shoulder, the Type locality: off the mouth of the Congo River, periostracum and at last the colour inside the near the lighthouse between Banana and aperture.