Australophialus turbonis

Australophialus turbonis (Barnard, 1925)

Figs 2–4

Cryptophialus turbonis Barnard, 1925: 5 (type material lost).— Newman & Ross, 1971: 26.

Australophialus turbonis Tomlinson, 1969: 121–125, fig. 33.—1987: 66, fig. 3.— Kolbasov & Høeg 2007: 129, fig. 3 (F), fig. 4 (K), fig. 10 (A).— Kolbasov 2009: 352, fig. 3 (a), fig. 7 (в), fig. 19 (б), fig. 20 (б, e, ж), fig. 21 (u), fig. 22 (б), fig. 24 (б), fig. 28 (б, e), fig. 38 (ж), fig. 50 (a), fig. 52 (г), fig. 55 (ж), fig. 59 (a), fig. 126.

Deposited material. SAMC-A091103, False Bay, Western Cape, February 2017, 30 specimens in 3 Turbo cidaris shells. SAMC-A091104, Wooley’s Pool, False Bay, Western Cape, 30 January 2017, 3 specimens in 2 Turbo sarmaticus shells. SAMC-A091105, False Bay, Western Cape, January and February 2017, 308 specimens in 4 Turbo sarmaticus shells (19 not deposited, used for dissections, SEM, light microscopy and genetic analyses). SAMC-A091106, Melkbosstrand, Western Cape, 28 February 2017, 1 specimen in Fusinus ocelliferus shell. SAMC- A091107, Melkbosstrand, Western Cape, 28 February 2017, 2 specimens in Haliotis midae shell. SAMC-A091108, Bloubergstrand, Western Cape, April 2017, 2 specimens from 2 Argobuccinum pustulosum shells. SAMC-A091109, False Bay, Western Cape, 15 March 2017, 1 specimen in Burnupena cincta shell. SAMC-A091110, False Bay, Western Cape, 15 March 2017, 1 specimen in Burnupena cincta shell. SAMC-A091111, False Bay, Western Cape, 27 September 2018, 17 specimens from 3 Crepidula porcellana shells. SAMC-A091112, False Bay, Western Cape, 15 March 2017, 1 specimen in Burnupena cincta shell.

Diagnosis. Australophialid with a notch one-third distance from anterior end on apertural margin, otherwise similar to other South African australophialid, Australophialus utinomii.

Description. Female, mantle bottle-shaped, with characteristic elongated neck of all cryptophialids (Figs 2C; 4A). Length 1–3 mm (mean 1.95 mm), width 0.6–1.6 mm (mean 1.19 mm). Opercular bars ~ 300 m long and wellarmed on margins by long, simple teeth and setae, with nodules on flat surface of opercular bar (fig. 3A, D, F). Distinct notch on opercular bars about one-third from anterior end (fig. 3D, F; 4B). An infolded velum with lamellae extends into comb collar, which is composed of long, fine projections, ending in bristles (fig. 3E). Lateral surfaces of operculum with dense rows of multifid scales, with setae (fig. 3B). Mantle surface striated, with no obvious projections other than small teeth that are mostly bifid and uniformly distributed. Large reinforcing bars present, with one extending dorsally toward attachment area on dorsal end of aperture (fig. 4B). Pair of lateral bars extends from apertural notch downward along mantle on either side (fig. 4B), with fewer teeth on their surface, as normal for this genus. Attachment area masked by layers of previous moults (cemented exuviae) that form a hard disk onto which males attach (Tomlinson, 1969). Colour similar to W. spinosa, light reddish and white colour when fresh turning light brown/white when preserved in ethanol (fig. 2C). Burrow oval-shaped (fig. 2B), averaging 0.3 x 0.25 mm.

Terminal cirri with four pairs, without caudal appendages (fig. 4C). One whip-like dorsal body process (fig. 4D). Mouth cirrus (paired) reduced, consisting only of small processes with several bristles (Tomlinson, 1969). Characteristic of the genus, labrum elongated and tongue-shaped, extending out of aperture, with setae at tip (fig. 4F). Mouthparts typical of genus, with ovate maxilla with distal setae (fig. 4E). Mandible with three teeth on cutting edge. Maxillule with no notch, no dense and long setae (fig. 4E). Mandibular palp elongated, with setae at distal end. Mature attached males averaging 0.45 x 0.25 mm. As many as 17 males attached to single female.

Hosts. Type host Turbo sarmaticus. Previously known to bore into shells of Burnupena cincta and Burnupena limbosa. New hosts reported here are Argobuccinum pustulosum, Crepidula porcellana, Fusinus ocelliferus, Haliotis midae and Turbo cidaris.

Distribution. Type locality False Bay (3407’57.8”S, 1826’44.1”E), South Africa. Ranges from Paternoster (3248’28.90”S, 1753’29.05”E) to Hermanus (3425’1.62”S, 1914’55.46”E). Endemic to the Western Cape.

Remarks: Australophialus turbonis was previously reported from the Western Cape in various hosts (Barnard, 1925) and at Umpangazi in KwaZulu-Natal (Tomlinson, 1969) from Purpura persica (previously Thais rudolphi). However, this was probably a misidentification and likely was a specimen of A. utinomii, which is morphologically similar to A. turbonis (see below). Australophialus turbonis is only known from the Western Cape, whereas A. utinomii occurs in the Eastern Cape around East London and in KwaZulu-Natal. Moreover, A. utinomii is also known from two Purpura species (see below), while this is not a known host for A. turbonis. Commonly found in the same hosts in association with Weltneria spinosa.