78 THE NAUTILUS
April 30, 1986
Vol. 100(2)
FAVARTIA BREVICULA (SOWERBY, 1834) AND TWO NEW SPECIES
OF FAVARTIA FROM THE WESTERN PACIFIC
(GASTROPODA: MURICIDAE)
Anthony D'Attilio and Barbara W. Myers
Department of Marine Invertebrates
San Diego Natural History Museum
San Diego, CA 92112
ABSTRACT
Murex breviculus Sowerby, 18SJt, is reexamined and a lectotype is selected from
the syntypic lot. Murex tetragonus Broderip, 1833, is discussed and it is our con-
clusioyi the name is a nomen dubium. Two 7iew species of Favartia Jousseaume,
1880, are described, one from the Solomons one from the Philippines.
The identity of Murex breviculv^s Sowerby,
1834, has never been in doubt and the figure in
the Conrhological Illustrations (Sowerby, 1834,
pi. 63, fig. 37) clearly defines the species. The
illustration agrees with the brief but adequate
description published later in the Proceedings of
the Zoological Society of London (1841:146-i47J.
The syntypic lot consisting of three specimens
was borrowed from the British Museum. A
lectotype was selected and the two remaining
specimens are considered paralectotypes. For
purposes of clarity all three specimens from the
type lot are illustrated herein through the
courtesy of the Trustees of the British Museum
(Natural History).
The identity of Murex tetragonus Broderip,
1833, on the other hand has never been estab-
lished. Broderip's description in the Proceedings
of the Zoological Society of London for 1832,
was based on a single "very much waterworn"
specimen. Broderip did not figure this species,
but Sowerby (1834) figured M. tetragonus in the
Conchological Illustrations (pi. 61, fig. 25 and pi.
63, fig. 36). We were informed by Ms. Kathie
Way of the Molluscan Section, British Museum,
that they were unable to locate any type
material of M. tetragonus Broderip.
Institutional abbreviations used in this paper
are: ANSP = Academy of Natural Sciences
Philadelphia. BM(NH) = British Museum
Natural History. SDNHM = San Diego Natural
History Museum.
Muricidae Rafinescjue, 1815
Muricopsinae Radwin and D'Attilio, 1971
Favartia Jousseaume, 1880
Type Species: Funirtin brcricula (Sowerby, 1834)
by original designation
Favartia brevicula (Sowerby, 1834)
Murex brevirulus Sowerby, 1834: Conch. 111. PI. 63. fig. 37
Figs. 1-8, 13
The syntypic lot oi Favartia brevicula (Sower-
by, 1834) borrowed from the British Museum
(NH) consisted of three beach eroded specimens
reg. #1974088.
The lectotype, measuring 26 mm x 20 mm,
was selected because it had the least amount of
erosion. Shell is broadly biconic, the number of
whorls indeterminate because of the erosion of
the spire. Whorls convex, aperture subcircular,
smooth within, inner lip erect, outer lip crenu-
late, reflecting external cords, anal sulcus not
apparent, canal narrowly open, broad, moderate
in length, terminally sharply recurved: three
older canal terminations on fasciole; four broad
varices crossing shoulder and abutting whorl
above; narrow intervarical areas appear smooth
on lectotype; leading edge of varices reaching
midway in the intervarical area; varices deeply
cut and depressed on both leading and receding
side; where varix crosses the shoulder it is
bladelike and strongly recurved; the leading side
of the varix with longitudinal lamellae un-
dulating between the spiral cords; five thick
spiral cords on body whorl, obsolete in narrow
intervarical areas, the first three about equal
size, the two anterior ones small and grouped as
a pair. Two minor cords on the canal separated
by a gap from the body cords at the base of the
l)ody whorl. Color of types is dull-white.
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