Abyssal fauna of the UK- 1 polymetallic nodule exploration area, Clarion-Clipperton Zone, central Pacific Ocean: Mollusca Author Wiklund, Helena Author Taylor, John D. Author Dahlgren, Thomas G. Author Todt, Christiane Author Ikebe, Chiho Author Rabone, Muriel Author Glover, Adrian G. text ZooKeys 2017 707 1 46 http://dx.doi.org/10.3897/zookeys.707.13042 journal article http://dx.doi.org/10.3897/zookeys.707.13042 1313-2970-707-1 6A0BCD992749450C874B440D0C0A232C 6A0BCD992749450C874B440D0C0A232C Veleropilina oligotropha (Rokop, 1972) Material examined. NHM_405 NHMUK 20170072, collected 2013-10-20, 13.86328 -116.54885, 4050 m. http://data.nhm.ac.uk/object/bf968b01-1991-43b7-87e4-25da4d5a9dc5 Description . Shell transparent, sculpture is reticulate, reticulation not covering the smooth apical area. Voucher specimen NHM_405, specimen length 2.2 mm, specimen width 1 mm (Fig. 19). Figure 19. Veleropilina oligotropha (Rokop, 1972) Specimen NHM_405. A Dorsal view of living specimen B Ventral view of living specimen. C Lateral view of ethanol-preserved specimen D Dorsal shell sculpture detail, just below apex E Ventral view of mouth and shell margin. Scale bars: 1mm. Image attribution Glover, Dahlgren & Wiklund, 2017. Genetic data. GenBank NHM_405 16S-MF157465, 18S-MF157495, COI-MF157522. Remarks. Morphologically agrees with description of Veleropilina oligotropha (Rokop, 1972) described from ~6000 m water depth in the central North Pacific. Forms a unique monophyletic clade distinct from all other AB01 specimens. No genetic matches on GenBank. In the molecular analyses based on the 16S gene, the Monoplacophora clade is strongly supported, but internal branches are unresolved or, when clades are present, they have low support (Fig. 20). Figure 20. Phylogenetic analysis of Monoplacophora . 50% majority rule consensus tree from the Bayesian analyses using 16S. Asterisks denotes support values of 95 or above. Ecology. Specimen collected from an epibenthic sledge tow across region of sediment and polymetallic nodules. Rokop (1972) did not observe the species directly on nodules, they were just recovered from the epibenthic sledge sample, as was the case in this study. The importance of the nodules as a habitat for the species remains uncertain until they are directly observed live on the seafloor.