Ten new species of Cardiidae (Mollusca, Bivalvia) from New Caledonia and the tropical western Pacific Author Vidal, Jacques Muséum national d’Histoire naturelle, Département Systématique et Évolution, case postale 51, 57 rue Cuvier, F- 75231 Paris cedex 05 (France) Deceased 2006 Author Kirkendale, Lisa Florida Museum of Natural History, Department of Malacology, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida 32611 - 7800 (USA) fragum 4 ever @ yahoo. com ever@yahoo.com text Zoosystema 2007 29 1 83 107 journal article 10.5281/zenodo.5401696 1638-9387 5401696 Pseudofulvia arago n. sp. ( Fig. 4 D-F) TYPE MATERIAL. — Holotype , live-collected cv, 27.0 × 23.3 × 17.5 mm . TYPE LOCALITY. — BENTHAUS 2002, Austral Ridge, Arago Bank , stn 1985, 23°26.3’S , 150°44.2’W , 100- 107 m . ETYMOLOGY. — In reference to the discovery of this species from the Arago Bank. MATERIAL EXAMINED. — The holotype . DISTRIBUTION. — Presently only known from the Arago Bank, Austral Islands. DESCRIPTION Shell medium, thin but solid, rather fragiform and inequilateral with posterior slope higher, more flattened and truncated than medio-posterior and anterior shell regions; anterior margin well rounded. Lunular area narrow, short, very slightly depressed, smooth, with margins slightly raised but not touching umbo, no sublunule. External colour white to light yellow on the umbonal area; interior white with yellow to yelloworange spots in the umbonal cavity. Cardinals connected in the right valve, unconnected in the left valve. Ribs approximately 80. Ribs on posterior slope divided into two regions (PT1 and PT2, Fig. 2B ) of comparable size, separated by a very slight depression on the margin. Posterior zone (PT2) with 9 or 10 flatly triangular ribs, ornamented with serried tubercular scales on rib tops. Anterior zone (PT1) with approximately 9 or 10 ribs, wider and more triangular than ribs of PT2 and without ornaments. Median region with more than 60 narrow, flat to rounded ribs, with no indication of periostracal insertions. FIG. 4. — A -C , Pseudofulvia caledonica n. gen., n. sp. ; D -F , P. arago n. gen., n. sp. ; G -J , Acrosterigma capricorne n. sp. ; I , highlighting detail of posterior and medio-posterior zones of left valve; J , highlighting medio-zones, with no herringbone structures in central region. Scale bars: 5 mm. Ocular organs absent. ANATOMY Siphonal area with two elongated apertures surrounded with thin, white tentacles. MICROHABITAT The single, live-collected specimen was recovered from 100- 107 m . REMARKS This taxon shares one character with the genus Fulvia , stronger ribs on the posterior slope than on the median and anterior shell regions. However, unlike most other Fulvia studied so far, Pseudofulvia arago n. sp. has a “fragiform” outline, with a relatively pronounced keel or carina, very thin ribs in the median and anterior shell regions, posterior ribs and interstices very strong and triangular, no periostracal insertions on any shell region, no granulations on the exterior shell surface and finally, no ocular organs on siphonal tentacles. Pseudofulvia arago n. sp. is distinguished from P. caledonica n. sp. by its larger adult size, absence of exterior granulations, connected cardinals in the right valve and unconnected cardinals in the left valve, no sublunule and the complete absence of periostracal insertions.