New species of Muricidae (Gastropoda) and additional or noteworthy records from the western Pacific Author Houart, Roland Research Associate Institut royal des Sciences naturelles de Belgique rue Vautier, 29, B- 1000 Bruxelles (Belgium) roland. houart @ skynet. be houart@skynet.be Author Héros, Virginie Muséum national d’Histoire naturelle, Département systématique & évolution case postale 51, 57 rue Cuvier, 75231 Paris cedex 5 (France) malaco @ mnhn. fr malaco@mnhn.fr text Zoosystema 2012 2012-03-31 34 1 21 37 http://dx.doi.org/10.5252/z2012n1a2 journal article 10.5252/z2012n1a2 1638-9387 4547204 Favartia ( Pygmaepterys ) circinata n. sp. ( Fig. 1I, J, M ) TYPE MATERIAL . — Holotype (lv) NMMBM 005342 . MATERIAL EXAMINED . — Only known from the holotype . FIG. 1. — A-D , K-L , Favartia ( Pygmaepterys ) lifouensis n. sp. ; A , B , New Caledonia,Loyalty Islands,Lifou, Baie du Santal,Shelter Reef, ATELIER LIFOU 2000: stn 1461, 20°54’S, 167°02’E, 100-120 m, holotype MNHN 24174, h 11.5 mm; C , D , New Caledonia, Loyalty Islands, Lifou, E of Baie du Santal, Mepinyo, ATELIER LIFOU 2000: stn 1445, 20°51’S, 167°10’E, 10-12 m, paratype MNHN 24176, h 8.4 mm; K , protoconch of the holotype; L , protoconch of the illustrated paratype; E , F , Favartia ( Pygmaepterys ) avatea Houart & Tröndlé, 2008 , French Polynesia, Austral Archipelago, Rimatara, BENTHAUS: stn DW2015, 22°38’S, 152°50’W, 250-280 m, holotype MNHN 20172, h 11.2 mm; G , H , Favartia ( Pygmaepterys ) bellini (D’Attilio & Myers, 1985) , Philippines, paratype SDMNH 83067a, h 11.3 mm; I , J , M , Favartia ( Pygmaepterys ) circinata n. sp. ; I , J , SE coast of Taiwan, TAIWAN 2002: stn DW149, 22°19’N, 121°29’E, 258 m, holotype NMMBM 005342, h 11.6 mm; M , protoconch of the holotype. Scale bars: K-M, 500 µm. TYPE LOCALITY . — SE coast ofTaiwan, 22°19’N , 121°29’E , 258 m [NO Ocean Researcher 1 , TAIWAN 2002: stn DW149, Chan, Cosel & Richer-IRD coll., 20/ V /2002 ]. DISTRIBUTION. — Known only from SE Taiwan at the type locality. ETYMOLOGY. — From Latin “circinata”: rounded, convex, because of the broadly-ovate last teleoconch whorl. DESCRIPTION Shell large for the subgenus, height 11.6 mm at maturity, height/width ratio 1.7. Biconical, broadly-ovate, lightly built, weakly squamous. Subsutural ramp narrow, weakly sloping, weakly concave. Protoconch and 1st teleoconch whorl blackish brown, gradually lighter coloured, from greyish brown on 2nd whorl to light tan on last teleoconch whorl. Outer apertural edge finely surrounded with dark brown line as well as base of axial varices, remnants of previous positions of the aperture. Brown line not extended on siphonal canal. Aperture white within. Spire high with 1.5 protoconch whorls ( Fig. 1M ) and five broadly convex, weakly shouldered teleoconch whorls. Suture of teleoconch whorls impressed. Protoconch small, whorls rounded. Diameter 500 µm . Terminal lip shallow, delicate, weakly curved. Axial sculpture of teleoconch whorls consisting of low, weak, webbed varices, each with a weak shoulder spine. Other axial sculpture of numerous growth lamellae. Spiral sculpture of low, narrow, squamous primary cords and numerous squamous threads. First to 3rd teleoconch whorls with visible SP, P1 and P2, 4th whorl with SP, P1-P3, last whorl with SP, P1-P5, s5, P6, ADP, MP, ABP and numerous squamous threads on and between spiral cords. Spiral cords extending on varices, forming small, broad, open spinelets joined by squamous webbing, more obvious on high, narrow apertural varix. P2-P5 strongest, P1 weakly narrower and lower, P6 small, narrow, ADP and ABP low, narrow, MP higher and broader, same strength as P1. Aperture moderately large, ovate. Columellar lip narrow with two small knobs abapically. Rim partially weakly erect, adherent at adapical extremity. Anal notch deep, broad. Outer lip weakly erect, smooth, with five strong, broad denticles within: IP, D1-D2 fused, D3, D4, D5. D1-D2 denticle largest. Siphonal canal short, broad, straight, open. Operculum and radula unknown. REMARKS This species is unique in Pygmaepterys and differs in many ways from all the other known species by its shell morphology and colour. The secondary spiral structure is apparently absent between primary cords P1-P5; however, examination of new material will probably show that some of the threads are in fact secondary cords of the same magnitude as some of the threads.