Taxonomy of Nystiellidae (Caenogastropoda, Epitonioidea) from Brazil, with description of three new species from the South-western Atlantic

• Published in: Journal of the Marine Biological Association of the United Kingdom
• Main Authors: Pimenta, Alexandre Dias, Andrade, Bruno Garcia, Absalão, Ricardo Silva
• Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
• Language: English
• Published: Cambridge University Press (CUP) 2017
• Subjects: Aquatic Science; North Atlantic
• Online Access: http://dx.doi.org/10.1017/s0025315417000984; https://www.cambridge.org/core/services/aop-cambridge-core/content/view/S0025315417000984

A taxonomic revision of the Nystiellidae from Brazil, including samples from the Rio Grande Rise, South Atlantic, was performed based on shell morphology. Five genera and 17 species were recognized. For the richest genus, Eccliseogyra , the three species previously recorded from Brazil were revised: E. brasiliensis and E. maracatu , previously known only from their respective type series, were re-examined. Newly available material of E. maracatu expanded the known geographic range of this species to off south-east Brazil. Eccliseogyra nitida is now recorded from north-eastern to south-eastern Brazil, as well as from the Rio Grande Rise. Three species of Eccliseogyra are newly recorded from the South Atlantic: E. monnioti , previously known from the north-eastern Atlantic, occurs off eastern Brazil and on the Rio Grande Rise; its protoconch is described for the first time, confirming its family allocation. Eccliseogyra pyrrhias occurs off eastern Brazil and on the Rio Grande Rise, and E. folini off eastern Brazil. The genus Iphitus is newly recorded from the South Atlantic. Iphitus robertsi was found off northern Brazil, although the shells show some differences from the type material, with less-pronounced spiral keels. Additional new finds showed that Iphitus cancellatus ranges from eastern Brazil to the Rio Grande Rise, and Iphitus notios sp. nov. is restricted to the Rio Grande Rise. Narrimania , previously recorded from Brazil based on dubious records, is confirmed, including the only two living species described for the genus: N. azelotes , previously only known from the type locality in Florida, and N. concinna , previously known from the Mediterranean. A third species, Narrimania raquelae sp. nov. is described from eastern Brazil, diagnosed by its numerous and thinner cancellate sculpture. To the three species of Opaliopsis previously known from Brazil, a fourth species, O. arnaldoi sp. nov., is added from eastern Brazil, and diagnosed by its very thin spiral sculpture, absence of a varix, and thinner microscopic parallel axial striae. Papuliscala nordestina , originally described from north-east Brazil, is recorded off eastern Brazil and synonymized with P. elongata , a species previously known only from the North Atlantic.