Aulacofusus canaliculatus Mclean & Clark 2023, n. sp.

Aulacofusus canaliculatus n. sp.

Figures 14 A–B urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act: 813CFA64-9AC0-4A33-900C-B1D7264F6B0A

Type locality: SE of Agattu Island, Near Ids., Aleutian Is., Alaska (51°47.79 N, 174°45.8E), 135 m. (NMFS 94- 200201 - 143).

Type material: Holotype, LACM 3667, 66.6 mm. (leg. RNC, 3 July, 2002, trawled, R/ V Vesteraalen); Paratypes: Pt 1, RNC 4143, 53.3 mm. S of Buldir Island (51°57.82 N, 176°01.72 E), 71 m. (NMFS 23-200001 - 226).; Pt 2, SBMNH 169005, 56.24 mm. S of Atka Island, Andreanof Ids. (52°06.15 N, 175°53.53 W), 92 m. (NMFS 143- 200401 - 94).

Referred material: 1, RNC 4141, 47.8 mm. N of Atka Island, Andreanof Ids. (52°08.14N, 175°07.59 W), 107 m. (NMFS 23-200001 - 103); 1, RNC 4099, 63.4 mm. S of Buldir Island (51°58.38 N, 176°05.04 E), 85 m. (NMFS 23-200001 - 227); 1, RNC 4568, 55.3 mm. Petrel Bank, Andreanof Ids. (52°04.19 N, 179°41.25 E), 75 m. (NMFS 143-201201 - 134).

Description: Shell of medium size (to 6.7 cm, holotype), elongated fusiform, rather slender, tall spired; cream to orange-brown, cords typically darker; periostracum absent. Protoconch with two whorls; six teleconch whorls, early whorls with five cords; whorls rounded. Spiral cords strong, rounded in cross-section, five to six on penultimate whorl, and seven similar but smaller cords on the base, channels between cords about as wide or wider than cords. Aperture short, a little more than 1/3 of shell height, oval; canal constricted, relatively long, slender.

Radula: Unknown.

Remarks: This species is similar to Aulacofusus periscelidus (Dall, 1891) (figs. 14 C–D), but differs in the more numerous (6–7 opposed to 4–5), lower, spiral cords which are rounded in cross-section. It also resembles Aulacofusus brevicauda (Deshayes, 1832) from which it differs in the much fewer spiral cords, 6–7 opposed to 14–16 in A. brevicauda.

Etymology: From the Latin, canaliculata, channeled, in regards to the deep channels between the spiral ribs

Distribution: Central and western Aleutians, from Buldir Island (176°E) to S of Atka Island, Andreanof Ids. (174°W), at depths of 71– 135 m.

Habitat: On black sand and bedrock bottoms with a bottom temperature of 4.4–4.9°C.