Xenophora neozelanica Suter 1908

“13. Xenophora neozelanica, n. sp. Plate XXVI, figs. 1 and 2.

Phorus onustus, Reeve, Hutton, Cat. Mar. Moll., p. 31 (not of Reeve). P. conchyliophorus, Born, Hutton, Journ. de Conch., 1978, p. 30. Xenophora conchyliophora, Born, Hutton, Proc. Linn. Soc. N.S.W., vol. ix, p. 943 (not of Born). X.pallidula, Reeve, Index, p. 79 (not of Reeve).

Shell large, trochiform, imperforate, upper surface almost concealed by agglutinated shells. Sculpture: Strong, oblique, irregular growth-lines are crossed by oblique, flexuous, and sometimes strongly curved striæ, usually more prominent near the periphery, which is in places produced into long, hollow, and deeply grooved spines, situated between the attached shells; base with numerous inequidistant and sharp -ridged revolving ribs, the interstices with fine threads of growth or almost smooth. Colour white or light-yellowish; the ridges upon the base yellowish to reddish-brown. Spire conical; outlines mostly slightly convex. Protoconch small, conic, of a few convex smooth whorls, polished and white, with marks of agglutination of very small foreign bodies. Whorls about 9 to 10, first slowly then more rapidly increasing; the last whorl carinated; base flat, concave towards the periphery. Aperture low and broad, inside porcellaneous, highly polished. Outer lips very much produced along the periphery, the upper and outer wall forming a roof, the inside of which is porcellaneous. Columella short, subvertical, arcuate, continued below into the horizontal, arcuate, sharp, and deflexed basal lip; inner lip expanded over the umbilical tract, forming a thick white and shining callus, and extending in a thin layer over the parietal wall. Operculum subquadrangular, with a long and narrow muscular impression.

Diameter, 68 mm.; height, 35 mm. Type.

Diameter, 70 mm., height, 58 mm. Another specimen; dead shell.

The fig. shown above represents a row of teeth of the radula.

Type in my collection.

Hab.—Ten miles west of Cuvier Island, in 32 fathoms.

Remarks.—A specimen obtained by trawling near Tiritiri was identified by the late Captain Hutton as X. pallidula, Reeve. This Japanese species, of which I used a good specimen for comparison, is no doubt nearly allied to our form, but the sculpture and colouring of the base is quite different. The late Dr. E. von Martens declared the New Zealand shell to be X. conchyliophora, Born; but this West Indian shell has the base brown, with light spiral striæ. The shells attached to our species are mostly valves of Chione mesodesma and stutchburyi.”

(Suter, 1908: 346-347)

Xenophora neozelanica, is a species of medium-sized sea snail, a marine gastropod mollusc in the family Xenophoridae, the carrier snails or carrier shells.

Xenophora neozelanica es una especie de molusco gasterópodo de la familia Xenophoridae.