Corresponding author: Peter Stahlschmidt (
Academic editor: M. Haase
A new deep water species from off the Chilean coast,
Fraussen K, Sellanes J, Stahlschmidt P (2014) The South American radiation of
The Patagonian marine environments of the SW Atlantic host a vast marine fauna with high pelagic and benthic biomass. The benthic molluscan fauna has been proven to be rich in endemic species and genera. Recent investigations have resulted in the descriptions of a number of genera that are typical of the Patagonian continental slope fauna (e.g.
The goals of the present paper are to contribute to the knowledge of the family
The Concepción Methane Seep Area (CMSA; ~37°S; ~800 m water depth) has been the source of many new species of molluscs in the previous decade. We herein add a new species of gastropod, inhabiting both the CMSA and a shallower water area located northwards. The new area is situated within the lower boundary of the SE Pacific permanent oxygen minimum zone (OMZ;
The new species is compared with its two congeneric species known so far, one from the Atlantic and one from the Pacific, as well as with two still undescribed species from the Patagonian shelf.
The material of the new species described in this paper was collected during the following cruises: AIW (R/V Vidal Gormáz), ONR (R/V Vidal Gormáz) and INSPIRE (R/V Melville).
For radula preparation the body of paratype 1 was extracted from the shell and dissected to isolate the buccal complex. It was treated with a 1% solution of sodium hypochlorite until the soft tissue was completely dissolved. Subsequently, the radula was cleaned in several shifts of distilled water, unfolded and mounted for SEM examination.
Agassiz trawl
Colecciones Biológicas Universidad Católica del Norte, Coquimbo, Chile
Concepción Methane Seep Area
El Quisco Seep Site
Koninklijk Belgisch Instituut voor Natuurwetenschappen, Brussels, Belgium
collection of Koen Fraussen, Belgium
Muséum national d’Histoire naturelle, Paris, France
Museo Nacional de Historia Natural, Santiago, Chile
collection of Peter Stahlschmidt, Germany
live collected specimen
empty shell
The radula is characterised by a rectangular central tooth with slightly curved base and with one (
Holotype in USNM-887765. Paratype in USNM-898774.
Falkland Islands (Islas Malvinas),
The single shell that we studied is a slightly eroded and damaged empty shell collected off the Falkland Islands, but without exact locality data.
Holotype in MNHNCL-5866, two paratypes in MNHNCL-5867-5868, two paratypes in KF-5180-5181 and a paratype in MNHN-9961.
South-central Chile, R/V Vidal Gormáz (SeepOx Cruise, AGT 6-7, 09/02/2006), CMSA, northwest of the Bay of Concepción,
This species was tentatively placed in the genus
Holotype (MNHNCL-7589) (14.5 mm), Chile, northwest of the Bay of Concepción, R/V Melville, INSPIRE cruise, AGT 04,
Paratype 1 (KF-5441) (12.1 mm), same locality as holotype, lv.
Paratype 2 (MNHNCL-7590) (15.7 mm), Chile, northwest of the Bay of Concepción, R/V Vidal Gormáz, ONR cruise, AGT 3.4,
Paratypes 3–4 (KF-7019–7020) (13.6–11.6 mm), same locality as paratype 2, lv.
Paratypes 5–6 (MNHNCL-7591) (13.0–13.2 mm), Chile, northwest of the Bay of Concepción, R/V Vidal Gormáz, AIW cruise,
Paratypes 7–8 (PS-150148) (12.5–10.5 mm) Chile, off El Quisco, R/V Melville, INSPIRE cruise, AGT 10,
Paratype 9 (MNHNCL-7592) (9.5 mm), same locality as paratypes 7–8.
Paratype 10 (KF-5440) (8.8 mm), same locality as paratypes 7–8.
Paratypes 11–13 (CBUCN-003284) (8.1, 8.0, 6.2 mm juveniles), same locality as paratypes 7–8.
Chile, northwest of the Bay of Concepción,
Apart from the type material listed above 20 additional specimens (6.3–11.3 mm; 19 lv, 1 dd; JS) collected together with the paratypes 7 and 8 were studied.
Range and habitat: Only known from the type material and the specimens from off Concepción and off El Quisco. Most of the specimens of
Shell small for genus (up to 15.7 mm), thin but solid, semi-transparent, off-white. Shape broadly fusiform with high spire and moderately short siphonal canal.
Apex and protoconch eroded in all studied specimens. Remaining teleoconch whorls 6 (holotype) or 7 (paratype 3) in number, convex, adapical part slightly flattened, thereby accentuating a rather carinated shape. Suture distinct.
Upper teleoconch whorls with 5 or 6 fine spiral cords of unequal strength, separated by deep interspaces of equal width; slightly increasing in number. Penultimate whorl with 8–11 spiral cords, adapical spiral cords fine, abapical spiral cords slightly broader, interspaces of equal size or twice as wide. Body whorl with 21 or 22 fine spiral cords of unequal strength; 9 or 10 adapical spiral cords fine with moderately narrow interspaces; 2 or 3 interspaces situated along transition from whorl to base much broader; interspaces on base of unequal strength. Subadult shells with 2 more pronounced spiral cords visible. Siphonal canal with about 9 broad, flattened spiral cords separated by narrow interspaces.
Upper teleoconch whorls with 10 or 11 moderately narrow but pronounced, weakly bended axial ribs, slightly weaker near both sutures. Badly eroded ribs party or entirely decollate, forming a deep depression with sharp margins. Penultimate whorl with 13–16 weaker ribs on adapical half of body whorl. Base and upper border of subsutural slope smooth. Body whorl of adult specimens almost smooth. All whorls covered with fine, weakly curved incremental lines.
Aperture round; columella concave, smooth; callus thin, glossy. Outer lip thin, moderately sharp, laterally curved following the shape of the incremental lines. Siphonal canal narrow, rather short, open.
Operculum corneous, thin, elongate, concentric, nucleus situated near lower margin, almost terminal, forming a sharp tip. Colour pale brownish, with a slightly darker pattern forming a V-shaped mark that grows from the nucleus (
Periostracum greyish with a greenish shine, thin, smooth, well-adherent.
Radula (
Animal with a moderately large statocyst (
We are thankful to Yuri Kantor from A. N. Severtzov Institute of Ecology and Evolution of Russian Academy of Sciences (Moscow, Russia) for preparing the radula and the statocyst.
We also thank the captains and crews of R/V Vidal Gormáz of the Chilean Navy and R/V Melville, Scripps Institution of Oceanography, for support at sea.
This work was partially funded by Fondecyt projects No. 1061217 and 1120469 to J.S., Fondecyt project No. 1061214 to Práxedes Muñoz; NOAA Ocean Exploration Program via SCRIPPS Institution of Oceanography, contract nr. NOAA NA17RJ1231, and the Office of Naval Research of the US Navy provided extra funding for ship time.